Think of this exciting 10-entry, 8-4 Yankees victory on Sunday afternoon from Rays at Tropicana Field, the kind of victory that can make a hitherto hesitant team basketball equivalent to the Ocean’s Eleven remake .
Aaron Boone’s group achieved an impressive feat. Still, the Yankees’ nemesis is looking forward to their next meeting.
Because if the Yankees avoided a lightning sweep, they didn’t avoid igniting that rivalry because their pitchers hit four Tampa Bay batters over the weekend, once every Friday and Saturday and then twice on Sunday.
“They basically go through all the series with them, and it’s something we have to stop,” said Austin Meadows of the Rays, “because being a hitter and having that behind your mind isn’t a good feeling.”
At the end of the first Sunday inning, Meadows carried a fast ball from Jordan Montgomery at 93 mph to the front shoulder, infuriating the Rays ’shelter and causing the referees to warn the two benches against any other such violence. However, Montgomery hit Meadows again in the fifth inning, this time on the left hand (back), although the umps gathered and decided to let the Yankees south court stay in the game for lack of ‘intentions; the rays did not oppose it afterwards.
No, what left the Rays salty was the volume of HBP and the recent general history of violence between these two clubs, which Tampa Bay considers to have been unilateral – since early 2018, including the division of the American League from last year, the Yankees. they have reached 30 rays, while the rays have reached 17 Yankees, and are not handled properly by the sheriff of the sport.
“Personally I think the boy was trying to hit him? I don’t, “Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Montgomery’s first HBP of Meadows.” But that’s still rolling. Last year it was so badly handled by Major League Baseball. … No there’s no recourse for it to be just a transfer and, intentionally or not, most major league players will look at you and say, “It doesn’t feel right, and I don’t care if you did it on purpose or not. ‘”
Cash added: “Major League Baseball is here to protect its players from both teams. To the 30 teams. And I don’t think they did last year. They could have done a better job and maybe [then] we overcome that “.
As for MLB’s alleged “mishandling,” Cash acknowledged that he was referring to the nearest Yankees, Aroldis Chapman, receiving a mere three-game suspension (which was shortened on appeal to two) for throwing behind the head of Mike Brosseau last September 1: “Oh, yes, without a doubt. And I know it [Masahiro] Tanaka has finished in Japan, but came out neck-free. He hit Joey [Wendle] definitely intentionally [the same night] and nothing we can do about it ”.
The Yankees, reassured to execute this victory (twice), did not express words of struggle over the situation. Montgomery said, “I wasn’t trying [hit Meadows], … but I understand that the referees are trying to control the situation, I guess. “
“Definitely no intention, but I understand his anger,” Aaron Boone said. “You see Meadows being hit around the shoulder, it would bother me on our side, whether intentional or not. I think it was clear that Monty was really struggling to find his command there in the first couple of passes and he walked away. “.
His anger spread far and wide. Rays catcher Mike Zunino said of the series’ four hits (according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times): “If it’s a coincidence, it’s crazy that it’s been three days in a row.”
Asked how the Lightning could “stop” this, Meadows said, “For us, I think we do a good job as a team of not retaliating, just continuing to play the game and letting our players talk. be a good strategy to have “.
The rays are Terry Benedict to Danny Ocean of the Yankees. They will return to the sequel, Friday night in the Bronx. At a time when so many are playing that the sport is too long and inactive, baseball should thank the Yankees-Rays (though yes, there may be more police to make sure things don’t get out of hand). hands).