DETROIT — What looked like a brewing clubhouse drama turned out to be nothing more than a classic case of miscommunication, as Red Sox teammates Willson Contreras and Marcelo Mayer took time Monday to clear the air and show mutual support after their postgame comments were blown out of proportion.

The confusion started following Boston’s frustrating 3-1 loss to Houston on Sunday, where the Red Sox went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base. In the visitors' clubhouse at Comerica Park, Contreras told reporters through interpreter Carlos Villoria Benítez that the team’s youth might have played a role in their early-season offensive struggles. Meanwhile, across the room, an unaware Mayer answered a separate question about Boston’s young core by saying, “To me, that’s just kind of an excuse: blame the young guys.”

By Monday morning, headlines screamed of an "ugly clubhouse war of words," with some outlets suggesting the two infielders were at odds. But both players quickly dismissed the narrative as exaggerated.

“I think it’s unfair that it was tried to put me against my team when the thing I said wasn’t even close to what I meant,” Contreras said, visibly irritated. “Obviously, it’s hard to see. I feel like every time I say something or do something, they try to do the opposite. They try to put me against teammates or everybody else. That’s what I feel like.”

Mayer, equally surprised by the controversy, called it “one of those classic, blown-out-of-proportion Twitter things.”

“I think things got taken out of context,” the young second baseman added. “I didn’t mean to take a shot at anybody, obviously, especially not to Willson. Willson and I have a great relationship.”

With the Red Sox looking to bounce back Tuesday night against the Tigers, it’s clear the clubhouse is united — even if the headlines suggested otherwise. For fans following the drama from home, it’s a reminder that not every quote is a battle, and sometimes the best plays happen off the field.