Watch: Madness unfolds after questionable hit-by-pitch during Game 5 of ALCS
Benches cleared during Game 5 of the American League Championship on Friday after Texas Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia took exception to being hit by a pitch in the eighth inning.
Plunked up high by a 98-mph four-seam fastball from Astros reliever Bryan Abreu, Garcia immediately confronted Houston catcher Martin Maldonado, believing it was intentional.
Two innings earlier, Garcia had smacked a go-ahead, three-run home run off starter Justin Verlander, but he took his time getting to first, admiring arguably the biggest hit of his life for perhaps a little too long in the mind of the Astros. However, considering the circumstances, trailing 4-2 in Game 5 of the league championship series, it's unlikely Abreu was intentionally throwing at Garcia.
Still, umpires ruled that Abreu deliberately threw at Garcia, ejecting him from the game. Even though umpires also threw out Garcia, the decision infuriated Astros manager Dusty Baker, who soon likewise received the boot. Baker briefly ignored the ejection before eventually being coerced to the locker room.
Cooler heads ultimately prevailed, but Friday's altercation added electricity to an already tight ALCS. Whether or not it bleeds into Game 6 in Houston remains to be seen.
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