Based on what happened Wednesday night at Fenway Park, the rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles still is pretty heated.
One day after Red Sox ace Chris Sale threw a pitch behind Manny Machado, Orioles starter Kevin Gausman hit Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts with a 76.6-mph slider. Gausman promptly was ejected despite no pregame warnings, and the Orioles clearly weren’t happy about home plate umpire Sam Holbrook’s decision.
Gausman also didn’t appear to like the decision, while catcher Caleb Joseph told reporters he’s excited “to get the hell out of Boston.”
Red Sox manager John Farrell said he was surprised by Gausman’s ejection, adding that it “kind of caught us all a little bit off guard.” But despite everything that has happened in this series, it hasn’t been a challenge for Boston to play baseball, according to Farrell.
“I think our guys, we’re in the mix,” Farrell said after the Red Sox’s 4-2 win, as aired on NESN. “I think we’re accustomed to doing a good job of blocking out distractions, no matter where they come from. And that’s a credit to our guys in the clubhouse, and the tight-knit group that they are.”
In an unrelated incident, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones also was ejected for saying something to Holbrook following a call he disagreed with.
Let’s take a look at a few more notes from Wednesday’s wild game.
— Craig Kimbrel leads the American League with 10 saves after he struck out the side in the top of the ninth inning.
— Bogaerts now has recorded a hit in seven straight games thanks to an infield single in the bottom of the fifth.
— Marco Hernandez got the start at third base for Boston on Wednesday, but his night didn’t last very long. Hernandez injured himself while fielding a ground ball in the top of the first inning, and was charged with an error on the play. The Red Sox announced he suffered a left shoulder strain, and Farrell addressed the injury more afterward.
— A knee sprain could lead to surgery for Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright.
“I don’t have the exact findings of the second opinion,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said before the game, via MassLive.com. “I can’t say that it’s drastically different than the exam done here. Based on information Steven’s received, based on the information that’s been handed to our medical staff, I know Steven is contemplating the options available to him. Surgery’s not ruled out.”
Wright currently is on the 10-day disabled list. Kyle Kendrick is scheduled to get the start Thursday night in his place.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
