MANILA, Philippines - Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor wasn't too happy with Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista after the latter nearly took him out with a double-play breaking low slide on Sunday, May 15 (US time).
Bautista was heading into second when he started his slide late, taking aim at Odor's right leg in what was immediately called a dirty play by umpires and ruled an automatic double play.
Odor let his feelings known by pushing Bautista before uncorking a flush right hand punch to the jaw which sent Bautista's shades flying and touched off a bench-clearing brawl.
The Rangers and Blue Jays have plenty of heat with each other, with Bautista being a particularly hated player by Rangers fans following his 3-run homerun in Game 5 of the American League Division Series, which he punctuated with his signature bat flip. Bautista found himself on base in the eighth inning on Sunday after relief pitcher Matt Bush plunked him in the midsection with a 98 mile per hour fastball.
Numerous players were ejected including Bautista and Odor, plus Rangers' bench coach Steve Buechele and Blue Jays players John Gibbons, Jesse Chavez, Josh Donaldson and bench coach DeMarlo Hale.
Afterwards, Bautista told reporter Gregor Chisholm that he thought the Rangers were "cowardly" for throwing at him, but gave credit where credit was due for Odor's punching accuracy.
"He got me pretty good so I have to give him that. But it takes a little bit of a bigger man, I guess, to knock me down," Bautista said.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bautista: "He got me pretty good so I have to give him that. But it takes a little bit of a bigger man, I guess, to knock me down" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash">#BlueJays</a></p>— Gregor Chisholm (@gregorMLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/gregorMLB/status/731987922728050688">May 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The Rangers won the fight and then later the game, 7-6, at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. – Rappler.com