ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tempers flared Wednesday afternoon at Tropicana Field after Rays' outfielder Kevin Kiermaier was hit by a pitch near the end of a crucial game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Benches cleared in the 8th inning after Blue Jays reliever Ryan Borucki hit Kiermaier on the back with his very first pitch. The two teams are battling for the top spot in the AL East division but the reason for plunking Kiermaier goes beyond the standings.
Two days prior, in the sixth inning of an eventual Rays win over Toronto, Kiermaier slid into home plate, beating a tag from the Blue Jays catcher. During all the action, a card fell onto the ground — on it was information on how Blue Jays pitchers would be throwing against Tampa Bay's hitters. Always the opportunist, Kiermaier would pick the card up and keep it.
The Jays reportedly said they were not happy after the game. However, there was no retaliation until Wednesday's game. Borucki would be ejected for hitting Kiermaier.
According to CBS Sports, Kiermaier said he thought the card he picked up was his position card for the outfield. But, once he noticed it belonged to the Jays, he said he wouldn't hand it over to anyone in the Rays dugout.
The incident didn't little to slow down the Rays that game. The team cruised to a 7-1 win, clinching their third straight postseason berth.
Wednesday's game was the last time Toronto and Tampa Bay will face this season, but there is a serious possibility of the two once again crossing paths in the postseason.
