The Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers got into a bit of a scuffle during Thursday night’s game at Dodger Stadium, with Matt Kemp and Robinson Chirinos right in the middle of it.
Kemp was attempting to score on a single to right field off the bat of Kiké Hernandez with two outs in the third inning. Rangers right fielder Nomar Mazara made a nice throw home, which Chirinos caught off one hop while standing directly in front of the plate.
Seeing that there was no other way for him to get past Chirinos, Kemp barreled right over him as if he was a football player. Both players then got up and exchanged some words and some shoves, prompting the benches to clear.
Both wound up getting ejected due to the shoving. After the game, Chirinos clarified that the reason he was angry with Kemp was because he got up and shoved him, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“I got mad. When he was starting to get up, he kind of leaned into me with his shoulder. That’s when I pushed him. Part of the game. Sorry for the fans that are watching that. It’s not supposed to happen, but it happens, man. I guess he got mad when I pushed him when he kind of went after me with his shoulder. After that, it was emotion and kind of happened.”
While it was an unfortunate play, it does not seem as if either will carry the friction past Thursday night. Although it could be something to keep an eye on when the two teams meet later this year, Aug. 28 and 29, in Texas.
Even without Kemp, the Dodgers went on to win, 3-2, in 11 innings on a walk-off ground ball off the bat of Austin Barnes that Rangers reliever made a throwing error trying to get Hernandez at the plate.
The win was the Dodgers’ third straight over and fifth in their last six games, completing a two-game sweep over the Rangers.
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