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Andrew Benintendi outlasted Jordan Montgomery in a spirited pregame standoff

We all know that the true competition of a baseball game takes place on the field. Two players -- pitcher and hitter -- squaring off one-on-one in a test of who can overcome the other. But, as Andrew Benintendi and Jordan Montgomery displayed on Wednesday, these duels don't always take place during actual gameplay.
Prior to Wednesday night's game between the Yankees and Red Sox, Benintendi and Montgomery engaged in a good, old-fashioned post-anthem standoff:

Who would win: Pitcher or hitter?
In this matchup, Benentendi prevailed, showcasing the stamina required to outlast his Yankee counterpart.

As with the regular season, success in a standoff requires the sort of physical stamina and iron will Benintendi displayed here in his take-down of Montgomery. Will it serve as an allegory for the 2018 AL East race? Well, fireworks went off during the game, too, as the two teams sparred after Joe Kelly plunked Tyler Austin:

The Yankees took this round with a 10-7 victory.

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