Blue Jays' John Gibbons: Rangers 'gutless' for throwing at Jose Bautista, starting melee

Brandon Schlager

Blue Jays' John Gibbons: Rangers 'gutless' for throwing at Jose Bautista, starting melee image

The Rangers' plunking of Blue Jays star Jose Bautista was revenge eight months in the making, Toronto manager John Gibbons said Sunday from the clubhouse after tensions ran high and benches cleared twice during Texas' 7-6 win.

"It was gutless," said Gibbons (via MLB.com), who was one of eight players and coaches ejected for their roles in three separate incidents during the game. "We've played seven games. ... The other 29 teams, if they have an issue with you, they come at you right away."

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Gibbons is referring to October when, during the AL Division Series between the teams, a now-infamous bat flip by Bautista set off a chaotic Game 5 and led Toronto to the ALCS.

Fast forward to Sunday, the final scheduled meeting between the Rangers and Blue Jays this season, and it became clear those wounds had been festering. 

It started when Ian Desmond blasted a go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning, flipping his bat before rounding the bases. Then, with Bautista the first batter up in the top of the eighth, Rangers reliever Matt Bush hit him with a 97 mph first-pitch fastball.

Both benches were warned but that made little difference, as Bautista slid hard into second base in an attempt to break up a potential double play throw from Rougned Odor. Odor took exception, pushing Bautista and landing a punch to his jaw, sending his glasses flying. 

The benches emptied as Bautista and Odor were separated and the umpires sorted through the pockets of other players pushing and shoving.

"I thought it was pretty cowardly of them to wait until my last at-bat to do that, in the whole series," Bautista said after the game, referring to retaliation for his ALDS bat flip. "It shows at least the apparent lack of leadership they have over there when it comes to playing baseball the right way. Baseball plays are supposed to be taken care of by baseball plays.

"I had a hard slide at second base," he continued. "I could have injured him, but I chose not to. I tried to send a message that I didn't appreciate getting hit. (Odor) 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.

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Bush, the former first overall draft pick pitching in his second MLB game after serving a prison sentence, declined to comment on the pitch after the game.

Odor was not made available to reporters.

"Everybody is going to say it was a one-run game, ball got away. Come on," Gibbons said. "Guys in the game, that play the game, know better than that."

Play eventually resumed after what was about a 10-minute delay. But it wasn't over yet.

With the first pitch of the first at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning, Blue Jays reliever Jesse Chavez hit Prince Fielder with a pitch in the leg. Chavez was ejected immediately and the benches cleared again, though order was restored more quickly this time.

When it was all said and done Odor, Bautista and Chavez were all ejected. So were Rangers bench coach Steve Buechele, Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson and Blue Jays bench coach Demarlo Hale.

Gibbons and Blue Jays first base coach Tim Leiper already had been ejected during the third inning for arguing separate calls.

Brandon Schlager

Brandon Schlager Photo

Brandon Schlager is an assistant managing editor at The Sporting News. A proud Buffalo, N.Y. native and graduate of SUNY Buffalo State, he joined SN as an intern in 2014 and now oversees editorial content strategy.