The Texas Rangers waited six games and eight innings but they finally sent a message to the Toronto Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista.
By the end of the Rangers’ wild 7-6 comeback win Sunday afternoon at Globe Life Park, a whole mess of messages were sent flying from both teams. Two bench-clearing skirmishes, the first of which included legitimate punches and four ejections, put a final intense stamp on the seven-game series between the teams. The Rangers took two of three in Arlington after losing three of four two weeks ago in Toronto. If they meet again in 2016, it’ll be in the playoffs.
“I take offense to anybody that ever thinks that this is a game that shouldn’t be played hard, that shouldn’t be played with emotion and intensity,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “Sometimes it gets to a level where grown men are playing the game of baseball and look, we’ve got a rivalry every single night we go out and play. We try to play hard, that’s all I’ve got to say about that.”
After the Rangers rallied with four runs in the seventh to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 7-6 lead behind Ian Desmond’s two-out, three-run homer, Matt Bush returned to start the eighth inning. He had entered the game in the seventh with the bases loaded and no outs and retired the side, although the Jays tacked on a run with sacrifice fly to push their lead to 6-3.
Bush’s first pitch in the eighth, a 97 mph fastball, glanced off Bautista’s elbow and planted in his side. Both dugouts were warned.
Whether it was a purpose pitch for Bautista’s over-the-top bat flip after last fall’s go-ahead home run in Game 5 of the division series may never be known for sure. Bush declined to comment when asked if it was a purpose pitch. It would have been an odd moment to put the tying runner on, especially for a pitcher making his second major league appearance.
The Blue Jays seemed convinced the pitch had purpose. Banister denied it was intentional.
“I’m not going to entertain that talk or question,” he said. “This is a young man in his second appearance in the big leagues. I’m sure that there was adrenaline flowing, he’s been here for a few nights, he’s seen the intensity level [and is] nowhere near perfect. To think that we’re going to put the tying run on base on purpose? I’m sorry.”
After Bush retired Edwin Encarnacion, Jake Diekman took over against Justin Smoak. Smoak hit a sharp grounder to Adrian Beltre, who threw to Rougned Odor at second to start the 5-4-3 double play. Bautista’s slide into second knocked Odor off-balance and Odor’s throw to first sailed high and wide. Odor pushed Bautista and as Bautista approached him Odor landed a right hook to the side of Bautista’s face.
Both dugouts and bullpens emptied onto the field and a scrum of punches and shouting lasted for several minutes in shallow centre field. After the umpires restored order (for the time being) and reviewed the play, Bautista’s slide into second was ruled in violation of the slide rule and he, Odor, Josh Donaldson and Rangers bench coach Steve Buechele were all ejected. In the third inning, Jays first-base coach Tim Leiper and manager John Gibbons had already been tossed. Somehow, Gibbons was out on the field during the eighth-inning skirmish.
“It was my team out there,” Gibbons said. “I didn’t want to sit here and drink too much wine. You got to go out there. I’m sure the league will say something about that but it’s kind of the manager’s responsibility.”
To the Jays, Bush’s pitch was intentional and Odor’s punch was out of line. Odor is likely to earn a stiff suspension. He was unavailable for comment after the game.
“Obviously, everyone felt like they crossed the line,” Bautista said. “It shows, at least the apparent lack of leadership that they have over there when it comes to playing baseball the right way. I thought it was pretty cowardly of them too to wait until my last at-bat to do that in the whole series. They could have come out and done it, if they wanted to send a message. Again, it shows a little bit more of their colours.”

RESULTS
NY Yankees 7 Chicago White Sox 5
Minnesota 5 Cleveland 1
Oakland 7 Tampa Bay 6
Cincinnati 9 Philadelphia 4
Detroit 6 Baltimore 5
Boston 10 Houston 9
Miami 5 Washington 1
Milwaukee 3 San Diego 2
Kansas City 4 Atlanta 2 (13 innings)
Pittsburgh 2 Chicago Cubs 1
Texas 7 Toronto 6
LA Angels 3 Seattle 0
Colorado 4 NY Mets 3
San Francisco 2 Arizona 1
St. Louis 5 LA Dodgers 2