Managers A.J. Hinch and Jeff Banister get heated as benches clear in Houston
Tempers flared deep in the heart of Texas on Saturday as the Rangers and Astros met in an AL West matchup.
During the ninth inning of the Rangers 7-6 victory, the benches on both sides cleared after Texas batter Rougned Odor and Houston catcher Hank Conger exchanged words at home plate.
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Odor, who was leading off the inning for Texas, took his sweet time stepping into the batter’s box which seemed to raise the ire of more than just Conger. However, it was Conger who was closest to Odor, and when he expressed his frustrations verbally that in turn irritated Odor.
Yes, it was every bit as silly as it sounds, but things did get rather heated for a few moments when managers A.J. Hinch and Jeff Banister came face-to-face.
Hinch actually seemed to be most angry at Prince Fielder, who was attempting to play peacemaker. Fielder was in the on-deck circle when the altercation began and was the first player to interject, grabbing Conger and pulling him out of the way.
Fortunately, the tensions calmed down just as quickly as they heated up. The game went on without any ejections or further incidents, and as noted the Rangers won the game 7-6.
Odor, by the way, would go on to hit a triple in his at-bat. An angry, bat-flipped triple, we should add.
The ball rolled up Tal’s Hill in center, giving the appearance that Odor may circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run. That wouldn’t be in the cards, but his insurance run proved big in the win.
The two teams will meet again in Sunday’s series finale. That could be worth watching just to see if there’s any carry over. We’d also definitely watch if they promise to wear those sweet old school uniforms again. We’ll never say no to those.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
