Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker was one of three people ejected following a benches-clearing incident in Game 5 of the ALCS. After the game, the 74-year-old skipper explained what got him fuming.
The Astros escaped with a 5-4 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Tensions flared before the game’s conclusion when Astros reliever Bryan Abreu hit Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia with a 99 mph fastball in the bottom of the 8th inning. The hit-by-pitch led to both benches storming the field (video here).
Baker, Abreu and Garcia were all tossed following the fracas. Baker made sure to give the umpires an earful before leaving the field.
Following the contest, the Astros manager took aim at the umpires’ assumption that Abreu was intentionally trying to hit Garcia.
“It didn’t make any sense to me,” said Baker during the postgame presser. “We’ve got a two-run game, and [the umpires] explain to me that [Garcia] just hit a three-run homer. … Some of them are going to get away. I don’t care if you’re Big League, Hall of Fame, I don’t care who you are.”
The Rangers led the Astros 4-2 prior to the ejections thanks to a go-ahead three-run homer from Garcia in his previous at-bat. The HBP against Garcia put runners on first and second with nobody out for the Rangers. Astros closer Ryan Pressly came in to replace Abreu and got all three outs in the eighth without allowing a run in.
Baker would have been in a more dour mood in front of the media had Jose Altuve not connected on the game-winning home run in the next half-inning. Instead, Baker’s Astros are now one win away from securing the American League pennant.
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