Girardi and Showalter go at it for stealing signs (VIDEO)

Orioles manager Buck Showalter and Yankees skipper Joe Girardi got in a heated exchange in the top of the second inning at Camden Yards Monday night and had to be restrained from    possibly resorting to fisticuffs.

The reason for their woofing — Girardi thought he saw Orioles third-base coach Bobby Dickerson stealing signs, either pitch selection or location, in the first inning.

In fact, Girardi was so sure of what he thought he saw, he raced the full length of the Yankees dugout to let Dickerson know what he thought he saw.

And when the inning ended, a still livid Girardi came out and barked at his his Orioles counterpart in a shouting match, causing players from both dugouts to spill onto the field and  forcing home plate umpire, Ed Hickox, to issue warnings to both starting pitchers.

Even after the game was over and the Yankees had lost 4-2 to drop three games back in the wild-card race with 18 left to play, Girardi was still prickly about the incident.

"There was something I saw," he said, emphasizing his words, "and I'm just going to leave it at that."