We have been waiting all week for the benches to clear at Yankee Stadium after someone being plunked by a pitch.
It was just no one expected it with the Indians, not the Red Sox, in town.
Managers Joe Girardi and Manny Acta went nose-to-nose last night after Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona drilled Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira in the back with a 94 mph pitch in the second inning of the Yankees’ 11-7 victory.
The minor scuffle highlighted a bounce-back night for the Yankees in front of 45,679 at the Stadium after the embarrassing sweep by the Red Sox. Ivan Nova held the Indians down and the Yankees belted out 15 hits in the first of a four-game series with the Indians, who sit atop the AL Central.
“I thought tonight was a good way to answer back and answer the call, because the last three games at home were very embarrassing for us,” said Alex Rodriguez, who hit a mammoth blast in the fourth inning for his 625th career home run. “It’s really not acceptable for us to play that type of baseball.”
The final score was closer than it should have been, thanks to the Yankees’ shaky bullpen. The Indians scored four runs in the ninth, and Girardi was forced to use Mariano Rivera in a game the Yankees had led 11-2.
Though Nova was great and the Yankees’ offense broke out, the highlight of the night came early with Girardi and Acta squaring off. Curtis Granderson had hit Carmona’s previous pitch into the seats in right field to put the Yankees up by four runs. After getting plunked, Teixeira jumped up and began shouting, “Throw it over the plate!” to Carmona, who jawed back at Teixeira. Girardi then ran onto the field to walk Teixeira to first, and he shouted “Bush league!” at Carmona. That led to players in both dugouts and bullpens running on the field.
“I’ve been hit plenty of times in my career, but any time it’s a purpose pitch near my head, near my neck, I don’t like that,” Teixeira said.
There was no brawl, just a lot of milling around, but Girardi and Acta met between the pitcher’s mound and first base and started screaming at each other. The two had to be separated, with bench coach Tony Pena pulling Girardi back toward the dugout.
“Manny told my guy to stop,” Girardi said. “Take care of your own guy. I’ll take care of my guy. You take care of your own guy.
“When my guys are getting plunked, I’m going to protect them.”
The feistiness came after a tense three-game series with the Red Sox that featured Yankees getting drilled with regularity before CC Sabathia retaliated Thursday by hitting David Ortiz. The Yankees have been hit seven times on this homestand.
“I can’t tell you 100 percent, but if I was to tell you that I thought one was intentional, that [one] tonight,” Girardi said. “They’re going to say he didn’t hit him intentionally, but he pitched Tex away the whole night and that one’s up in his rib cage, in the middle of his back. That bothers me.”
Carmona left the Stadium without commenting, but Acta said the pitch was not on purpose, pointing to Carmona’s inability to throw strikes all night.
The Yankees needed a win like last night’s after getting beaten up by the Sox.
“They came in here and pretty much embarrassed us on our home field,” Rodriguez said. “Sometimes people are too comfortable. You can’t have teams be so comfortable against us.”
Nova (5-4) earned his first win since May 17, holding the Indians to four hits and two runs in seven innings.
brian.costello@nypost.com