The “Balfour Rage” reared its ugly head during Monday’s game against the Tigers.
The volatile A’s closer, Grant Balfour, is known around the league for his hot-tempered ways, and during the ninth inning of the A’s Game 3 matchup in Detroit, Victor Martinez got a little taste of his anger.
With the Tigers down by three and down to their last three outs, Martinez stepped to the plate and hit a foul ball. MLB Network’s on-field microphones were working a little too well, and they captured what came after the fateful pitch — a continuous back-and-forth stream of expletives.
Balfour began walking to the plate when he started dropping f-bombs to Martinez, which the Tigers’ designated hitter quickly returned to the closer.
The profanities prompted both benches and both bullpens to clear, but besides some pushing and shoving, the situation never escalated further. Balfour and Martinez stayed in the game, and the A’s went on to win 6-3, giving Oakland a 2-1 lead in the ALDS.
