The Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays already don’t like each other and that infamous Jose Bautista batflip last year in the AL Division Series probably still has a sour taste in the mouths of Rangers players ever since it happened.
So what transpires on the last regular season game these two teams play? A fight, of course.
Although the Rougned Odor punch straight to the chin that left Bautista dazed is what everyone has been talking about, the play before is what led to the series of events.
It is yet unknown, but there is speculation that Matt Bush was ordered to hit Joey Bats with a pitch on his last at bat. That’s how Bautista got to first base in the first place. But tension from that pitch and last year’s ALDS were still fresh in every player’s mind and that beam was the straw that broke the camel’s back. All hell broke loose after Bautista retaliated with the hard slide.
Not only were Odor and Bautista ejected, but so were Josh Donaldson and Texas bench coach Steve Buechele. Not to mention Blue Jays reliever Jesse Chavez, who took a pitch at Prince Fielder right after umpires, coaches and players took extended time to break up the brawl to begin with.
Considering this is the last meeting between these two teams for year, the next time we could see them take the field together could be the postseason. And we can guarantee nobody on either side will forget anything that transpired on the field today.
The Rangers won the game 7-6 against the Blue Jays when it was all said and done.