BOSTON -- What was home plate umpire Sam Holbrook thinking?

He ejected Orioles starting pitcher Kevin Gausman with no outs in the second inning for hitting Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts with a 76.6 mph curveball.

Yes, a 76.6 mph curveball!

"Just given the situation and the tension between the two clubs and all the stuff that's gone over the past few weeks, we're all on high alert with anything," Holbrook told pool reporter Ken Powtak here at Fenway Park. "I know that the ball was a curveball. But it hit him square in the back and just making a split decision at that point right there, there needs to be an end to this stuff, and I felt like an ejection was the right thing to do at that time, and that's what we did. Thankfully, we didn't have any more problems the rest of the game."

The Red Sox won 4-2 over the Orioles here at Fenway Park.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred stepped in to end the feud between the Red Sox and Orioles before Wednesday's game but no pre-game warnings were issued.

"Just complete bush league, to be honest," Gausman said. "To throw me out in that situation after what (Chris) Sale did yesterday, throwing 98 (mph) behind a guy, on purpose, everybody knew it. And you're going to throw me out for hitting a guy on a curveball, no outs in the second inning. It's pretty bush league."

The feud between these two teams began a couple weeks ago.

Matt Barnes threw a pitch near Manny Machado's head April 23. Barnes received a four-game suspension. The pitch near Machado's head was considered retaliation for Machado spiking Dustin Pedroia's surgically repaired knee April 21.

Dylan Bundy threw a pitch at Mookie Betts' hip Monday.

Then Chris Sale threw behind Machado here Tuesday.