OAKLAND -- The Rangers and A's don't seem to like each other very much.
Well, maybe we should clarify -- Adrian Sampson and the A's don't seem to like each other very much. Texas' starter took issue with Ramón Laureano after he hit Oakland's fourth home run of the night, nearly leading to both dugouts clearing (that would happen later on).
All of this dates back to June 8, when Sampson yelled at Mark Canha following a home run in Texas. Sampson also stepped on Laureano's bat that night. Laureano didn't forget.
"Do you remember when you stepped on my bat?" Laureano asked Sampson after his home run Saturday. "You can step on it again."
Well this could definitely get interesting before the game is over #Athletics #Rangers #MLB pic.twitter.com/e11K0SRIki— Ben Ross (@BenRossTweets) July 28, 2019
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Canha didn't forget Sampson's antics from last month either.
"I feel like he should've known that he had that coming with his comments after the last game and his actions in the last game," Canha said. "This guy had a target on his back and we were kind of fired up to face him today and I think we made that clear."
The next time Laureano came to the plate was in the eighth inning against Rafael Montero. The Rangers reliever threw four straight pitches inside, plunking Laureano with the last one.
"It is what it is," Laureano said. "The pitching coach went out there two pitches before, so that's a little suspicious, but it is what it is."
That brought both dugouts and bullpens out onto the field, though no punches were thrown. Montero and Rangers manager Chris Woodward were both ejected from the game.
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Said Canha: "I just feel like we need to throw all (the unwritten rules) out the window and just play baseball and have fun."
The A's went on to win the game, 5-4, snapping a three-game losing streak. They will try to earn a series split with a victory in Sunday's finale. We'll see if there's any carryover from Saturday's fireworks.
