It got rather heated between the Astros and Rangers at Game 5 of the ALCS.  As we hear, these two teams don’t like each other and have had their confrontations over the season.  It’s what usually happens when a team from Houston meets one from Dallas-Ft. Worth.  I like it as a fan and let’s play ball.

In the bottom of the 8th, things got out of control, especially when the umpires decided to read minds. This is the story:

There was plenty to go around in Game 5 between the Rangers and Astros.

Three were ejected after a brawl in the bottom of the eighth — Rangers’ Adolis Garcia and Astros’ Bryan Abreu and Astros manager Dusty Baker.

The fight happened after Garcia was hit by a pitch from Abreu. He immediately turned and yelled at catcher Martin Maldonado, as he believed the hit was intentional. In the sixth inning, Garcia hit a go-ahead three-run homer on the first pitch. His next at-bat, he was hit. On the very first pitch, no less. Regardless, it was a clear ejection.

After a discussion between the umpires, Abreu was thrown out, too, for what was determined a purposeful hit-by-pitch, which is grounds for an automatic ejection. Baker was up in arms about this decision, not understanding how it was ruled intentional. The Rangers were leading 4-2, at this point, with one runner on base and no one out.

There were no punches, but a few words went back and forth.  We’ve seen this a million times in rivalry games.  Garcia got hit by a 90-something fastball that was a little too inside.  Abreu, the pitcher, had no reason to hit the batter and extend the rally.  So I saw it as a pitch that got away.  It happens, but that didn’t stop Garcia from yelling at Maldonado, the catcher with red hair.  I wonder what my late father would say about a catcher with a red hair.  He’d probably say that “eso está extraño,” or that’s strange.  My late mother would have probably yell something labeled as homophobic these days.

Then the umpires decided to gather and talk.  They concluded that the pitch was intentional, an incredibly stupid conclusion.  Just warn both sides and keep playing.

How much of this stoppage hurt the Rangers’ pitcher watching from the dugout?  We will never know that he didn’t look sharp and put two men on base.  Then Altuve hit one over the fence and spoiled the local party.

The series resumes on Sunday night, and we hope that the umpires call balls and strikes rather than read minds.

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Image: slgckgc via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 (cropped).,