Things got a little fiery on Monday night in Baltimore between the Orioles and Blue Jays.
It all started in the top of the fifth, when Danny Valencia drove in oft-injured Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes with a single to left field. Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph lowered his knee to make a catch on Alejandro De Aza‘s throw to home plate and the sliding Reyes took exception to those actions.
In response, Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman whizzed a pitch by Joseph’s head in the bottom of the sixth.
For some reason, both benches were warned. I’ll never understand that…
Stroman claimed the fastball “slipped” out of his hand. How coincidental that slipped against a guy that the Jays thought blocked home plate.
The young Toronto starter didn’t appear real apologetic toward to the O’s dugout after that slippery fastball was delivered.
.@MStrooo7 smirking at the O's dugout after throwing at Caleb Joseph's head; Buck's assessment is apt: "That's bad." http://t.co/YrK9K0D2z4
— Orioles GIFs (@OriolesGIFs) September 16, 2014
Orioles manager Buck Showalter did not hold back in his postgame press conference, calling Stroman’s pitch “borderline professionally embarrassing.”
Buck on Stroman: "Let's face it, he's 23 years old, emotional, you see him coming off the mound doing his little whatever." #orioles
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) September 16, 2014
Buck: "Caleb made a perfectly legal play the way it's supposed to be done. I'm still trying to figure out what they're mad about." #orioles
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) September 16, 2014
After watching Giancarlo Stanton take a fastball to the face last week, I don’t think anyone should take Stroman’s pitch lightly. Jim Palmer certainly didn’t on the Orioles broadcast, he recommended drilling Reyes in the knee in his next at-bat.
