The Red Sox president, Sam Kennedy, has apologized after Boston fans taunted Orioles center fielder Adam Jones with racial slurs. Kennedy also apologized for a fan throwing peanuts at Jones on Monday night. He says the organization is “sickened by the conduct of an ignorant few.”

Jones, who is black, told USA Today “called the n-word a handful of times”. He added: “It’s unfortunate that people need to resort to those type of epithets to degrade another human being.”

Are teams' injury crises down to bad luck or bad management? Read more

The five-time All-Star said he has been the subject of racist heckling in Boston’s ballpark before, but this was one of the worst cases of fan abuse he has heard in his 12-year career, according to USA Today Sports.

“It’s pathetic,” Jones said. “It’s called a coward. What they need to do is that instead of kicking them out of the stadium, they need to fine them 10 grand, 20 grand, 30 grand. Something that really hurts somebody.”

The Red Sox said they were reviewing what happened at the game, but any spectator behaving poorly forfeits the right to be in the ballpark and could be subject to further action.

“The Red Sox want to publicly apologize to Adam Jones and the entire Orioles organization for what occurred at Fenway Park Monday night,” Kennedy said. “No player should have an object thrown at him on the playing field, nor be subjected to any kind of racism at Fenway Park.”

New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia did little to dispel Boston’s reputation for intolerance in comments to Newsday’s Erik Boland on Tuesday afternoon, saying he’s “never been called the n-word” anywhere but in Boston during his 17-year major league career.

He added that black major leaguers have come to expect racial taunts in road games against the Red Sox.

“We know,” Sabathia said. “There’s 62 of us. We all know. When you go to Boston, expect it.”

The MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, condemned the night’s events and any racist incidents would be subject to “further action”.

“The racist words and actions directed at Adam Jones at Fenway Park last night are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated at any of our ballparks,” Manfred said. “My office has been in contact with the Red Sox, and the club has made it clear that they will not tolerate this inexcusable behavior.

“Our 30 clubs will continue to work with fans and security to provide a family-friendly environment. Any individual who behaves in such offensive fashion will be immediately removed from the ballpark and subject to further action.”

The Orioles’ 5-2 victory marked the latest testy game between the AL East rivals this season, including a dust-up in Baltimore just more than a week ago.

In the teams’ previous meeting at Camden Yards, Boston reliever Matt Barnes sent a pitch that whizzed behind Manny Machado’s head and hit the slugger’s bat. Barnes was suspended four games and fined.

Machado had rankled the Red Sox with a late slide into second baseman Dustin Pedroia’s left leg two days earlier. Pedroia missed a handful of games. Orioles pitcher Dylan Bundy hit Mookie Betts near the left hip with a fastball Monday night, prompting loud boos.