WATCH: Benches get cleared as tempers boil over in Astros-Rangers game following Adolis Garcia’s grand slam
Tensions boiled over on Wednesday as the Houston Astros took on their Texan rivals, the Texas Rangers. Furthermore, benches were cleared following Adolis Garcia's grand slam.
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Houston Astros and Texas Rangers getting involved (Pic Credit: Houston Chronicle)
When two top teams collide against each other, the temperatures are always hot. The fight for superiority among other teams often leads to a fight when two teams of such magnitude go up against each other. A similar incident was recorded during the matchup between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers on Wednesday. While technically there was no fight, the benches got cleared as words were exchanged.
The rivalry between the two teams has heated up in recent years. The two Texas teams are fighting over the division standings. While the Rangers have been leading the pack for a long time this season, the Astros are right behind them. The reigning champions have not been at their best this season but are still a team to beat.
Having lost the first two games of the season, the Rangers found themselves in some trouble. The Astros were looking to sweep their Texan rivals and go level with them on the table. The benches-clearing incident occurred in the fifth inning with the Rangers leading 9-3. Adolis Garcia belted his 4th career grand slam when he took pitcher Martinez deep.
Perhaps the grand slam ignited off the Astros’ fielders. By the time Garcia rounded off the bases, Astros’ catcher Martin Maldonado and Rangers’ Marcus Semien had started to exchange a few words. Garcia then tried to intervene between these two. This followed the benches being cleared at the Minute-Maid park. As the umpires defused the tensions, they tossed both Semien and Maldonado out of the game.
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Houston Astros take two games in huge Texan battle for supremacy
Whenever two city or state rivals take on each other, the tensions are always high. As the fans hold their breath back, the players try to earn those bragging rights. While the Astros have been running away with the division in the past few years, this year they found their match. The Texas Rangers have come flying out of their blocks and look to dethrone their rivals as the number-one team in the state.
The Rangers have established themselves as a formidable foe this year. Most of the credit goes to their offensive power. The Astros themselves have been a shadow of their 2022 team which stream-rolled the division. However, this game was clearly showing signs of hostility as two batters by hit by a pitch in the game. Yordan Alvarez was hit by a pitch in the first inning. His side returned the favor when Marcus Semien was hit in the third inning. The umpires gave a warning to both benches following this hit.
Semien would get his revenge later on in the fourth inning. He blasted a two-run home run of Framber Valdez. The slugger was not done there as he kept staring at Valdez while rounding off the bases. The seven run-fifth innings made matters worse as Semien exploded on Maldonado. His ejection however did not cost the team much as they won the game 13-5 to avoid the sweep and preserve their lead at the top of the AL West.
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