Jose Bautista was plunked in apparent retaliation for his ALDS bat flip, then Bautista slid in hard at second base on a take-out slide.
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Odor said that he was trying to protect himself, that he didn’t regret anything that happened even though he knows he’ll be suspended, and that it was just part of the game.
Odor said he would rather not have thrown a punch.
The Rangers and Blue Jays do not play again this season.
The Rangers and Blue Jays were involved in a massive brawl Sunday. “I just play the game to win games”. “Then you’ve got six more games for things to play out the way they’re going to play out”. Bautista did slide in late and not obey by the new Major League Baseball rule but Odor had no right to punch Bautista and start a full out fight between both teams.
Bautista insisted in the aftermath of the scuffle that Odor was only able to get him because he surprised him and sucker punched him. “In the heat of the moment, I think everyone in here did what they think is right to protect our guy”.
Bautista did not speak to media ahead of Monday’s game with Tampa, other than to say that he was feeling fine despite absorbing Odor’s haymaker. “Hopefully this is the end of it”, said Pillar, who also disliked the timing of hitting Bautista with the pitch.
Gibbons, who returned to the field Sunday after being ejected for arguing earlier in the game, said Monday that he has yet to hear about any suspensions. Blue Jays pitcher Jesse Chavez is also facing a ban for hitting Prince Fielder in the bottom of the eighth.
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Odor claimed self-defense, which if you’ve seen the sequence of events, you’ll know is a ridiculous statement. Jose Bautista had that in mind when he went hard through the bag as Rougned Odor was attempting a twin kill.
