Rhys Hoskins' slide on Mets' Jeff McNeil leads to benches-clearing incident in Brewers' 2024 opening day win

Rhys Hoskins may be new to the Milwaukee Brewers, but there was some National League East bad blood that carried over on opening day in a 3-1 victory over the New York Mets on Friday. 

In the top of the eighth inning at Cifi Field, Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil took offense to a hard slide into the bag by Hoskins, a longtime member of the Philadelphia Phillies, while attempting to break up a double play. 

On a grounder hit by Willy Adames, McNeil took a throw at second from third baseman Brett Baty. McNeil lost the ball while attempting to transfer to a throw as Hoskins slid into second.

The slide was considered to be late by McNeil, who immediately popped up from the ground shouting at Hoskins, who had slid past the bag with most of his body but maintained contact with it throughout.

McNeil continued pointing and shouting at Hoskins even after he ran off the field to the point the benches cleared. There appeared to be no further scuffles between the sides except for McNeil shouting at the Brewers first baseman. 

The argument culminated when, minutes after the play while the umpires reviewed the slide to determine if it was legal, Hoskins made a crybaby motion, rubbing his hands over his eyes toward McNeil while the Mets infielder continued to shout into the Brewers dugout. 

The slide was deemed legal by umpires, as well, because Hoskins slid directly in line with the base and maintained contact.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy put the play into perspective.

"Just good, hard-nosed baseball. I expect that out of all of our guys and we expect that out of our opponents," he said. "He's a big-league ballplayer. Having a tough day at the plate in his first day back in a year. And, you know, he sent a message to all the young kids on this team.

"We had 12 guys playing opening day for the first time that he's sending the message to, that even when you're not having the day you'd like at the plate, you know, 'I'm going to play hard.'

"And that's a great message."

Following the game, Hoskins talked at length about the play and its aftermath.

"I'm just trying to play baseball, right?" he said. "We've got a chance in the eighth with a runner on to tack on another run, and the last thing I want to do is give them a clear lane to make a double play. A certain someone took exception to my slide, but I didn't really think much of it, to be honest.

"I ended up hitting him, but that's what happens with a slow-developing play where I'm trying to make sure he doesn't turn the double play. But, I love the win."

Keep in mind, Hoskins is barely a year removed from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee.

"I kind of laid there afterward," he said. "A couple guys said they thought I might have hurt myself. But I was just kind of letting whatever McNeil needed to get out, let him get it out and then I just kind of ran off the field after that.

"Then, I got to see everybody on the team out there."

Hoskins was asked what it was McNeil was "getting out."

"A few things I can't really say here. A few choice words," he said. "But I've played in this ballpark a bunch and he just seems to be complaining when things aren't going well, and I think that's kind of one of those moments. Maybe kind of lost in the heat of the game a little bit but again, I think it's just playing the game hard and playing the game the right way."

Did Hoskins feel like McNeil overreacted?

"Um, yes," he said.