Feelings ran excessive late in Saturday’s recreation between the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. Blue Jays pitcher Génesis Cabrera bought right into a heated verbal alternate with Rays infielder José Caballero on the finish of the seventh inning.
The three-day-old Major League Baseball season has now seen two scuffles over the previous two days. Gamers spilled out of every dugout throughout Friday’s recreation between the Mets and Brewers, after Milwaukee’s Rhys Hoskins slid laborious into second base throughout a double-play try.
Saturday’s altercation turned bodily when Cabrera shoved Caballero, prompting each crew’s benches to empty. Shortly earlier than the confrontation, Caballero’s bunt single drove in a run. However, he continued across the bases after third baseman Justin Turner made a throwing error. Toronto outfielder George Springer ran down the errant throw and threw to the shortstop, who then tagged Caballero out at third base.
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Tampa Bay Rays third base coach Brady Williams, middle left, and Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, proper, attempt to break up a confrontation throughout the seventh inning on March 30, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photograph/Steve Nesius)
Cabrera, who was backing up third base, and Caballero got here collectively because the play concluded and exchanged phrases. The confrontation ensued, though no punches have been thrown. Cabrera was ultimately ejected.
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“I saw the ball in the bullpen and started running. The coach is waving at me to go to third. When I got to third, I see Bichette had the ball already, so I gave myself up. I’m kind of slowing down and Cabrera comes out of nowhere and kind of tags me. But there’s no play, I’m already out,” Caballero stated. “I just asked him, why did you push me? He didn’t say a word. He just came up to me and pushed me again.”
Umpire Cory Blaser #89 (C) stands between Jose Caballero #7 of the Tampa Bay Rays and Genesis Cabrera #92 of the Toronto Blue Jays after a dugout clearing shove at Tropicana Subject on March 30, 2024 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Photos)
The dust-up got here two innings after the Rays’ Randy Arozarena celebrated his solo homer by kissing his bat, doing a cross-arm pose after which signing autographs for followers after returning to the dugout.
“I will say it was more like the heat of the moment,” Cabrera stated via a translator. “I mean, I think we all kind of overreact a little bit. I mean, he kind of looked at me and I just react. … It’s part of the game sometimes, but it’s over with. It’s where it ends, right there.”
Rays supervisor Kevin Money thought Caballero dealt with the state of affairs properly by not doing something to escalate the confrontation. “Both teams didn’t let it get out of hand,” Money stated.
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Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider agreed. “It was handled really well by everyone, umpires and Tampa, and us,” Schneider stated. “It was kind of just one of those things where it just kind of happened and they issued warnings and everyone was fine with that.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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