It's spring training? Screw it, let's brawl!

Hit batters lead to benches clearing as Sox overcome a shaky effort from Beckett.

Gotta love Tito's & Coco's expressions in this pic; BTW, I would NOT f**k with Demarlo Hale! (courtesy of the Globe/AP)

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that it was 80+ degrees and sunny on this gorgeous early spring day in F-L-A that got temperatures rising between the Sox and Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium in beautiful, desolate Lakeland.

Or it could have been that Sox gopher ball specialist Josh Beckett turned into the second coming of Nuke LaLoosh, nailing new Tiger Gary Sheffield with a pitch in the first inning and then catching Mags Ordonez with a breaker to the helmet in the 3rd. Neither pitch did much damage to the batters, although Ordonez was down for a bit and removed for precautions, but neither sat too well with the Tigers players & staff.

Needless to say hot-headed Detroit skipper Smokey Jim Leyland didn't take too kindly to Beckett using his players as target practice while he worked on his breaking ball, so nobody in the stadium was surprised when Detroit reliever Todd Jones attempted to hit J.D. Drew in the 5th. I think it was more that Jones attempted twice, throwing behind Drew on the second try, that got Leyland and Jones ejected (both sides had already been warned due to the three prior HBPs), and caused the benches & bullpens to empty, culminating in a shouting match between Smokey Jim and Maddog DeMarlo Hale.

Cooler heads ultimately prevailed, and it's a good thing, too; Leyland may be an ornery, chain-smokin' old S.O.B., but DeMarlo would snap that geezer in half like a Nicorette user snapping a Malboro.

Beckett ended up allowing 5 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits in 3 2/3, with 1 walk and 1 strikeout, a less-than-stellar outing, according to Captain Obvious. On the bright side Eric Hinske slugged a 1st-inning grand slam off Tigers playoff hero Justin Verlander, five Sox had 2 hits apiece (Coco, Drew, Hinske, Cora and Joe McEwing) and 4 relievers combined to throw 5 1/3 innings of 1-run ball.

And the Sox won, 7-6.

The Tigers visit Fenway April 14-17th for a four game set.

Better bring a bodyguard, Marlboro man.