These birds don't get along
Plate ump C.B. Bucknor tosses Blue Jays manager John Gibbons after he argued when warnings were issued Friday after Mike Wright hit Jose Bautista with a pitch.
By Bob Elliott
When Dale Scott’s umpiring crew arrived in Toronto it was given a heads up before working the Baltimore Orioles-Blue Jays series at the Rogers Centre.
The word from former umpire Steve Palermo of the commissioner’s office in New York was an update on the ill feelings between the Jays and the Orioles.
The crew was given three names of players to watch for:
Jose Bautista, who was hit with an 0-1 fastball from right-hander Mike Wright. Bautista stared at Wright and plate ump C.B. Bucknor issued warnings leading to manager John Gibbons being ejected since it’s against the rules to argue warnings like ball-strike calls. Orioles catcher Matt Weiters argued with Bucknor at the end of the first.
Adam Jones, who was hit with a 3-1 pitch in the eighth by Roberto Osuna leading to Bucknor ejecting both Osuna and automatically bench coach DeMarlo Hale. Jones ran to first base and looked out to right field as if showing Baustista this is how to react.
And the third name was O’s right-hander Jason Garcia, who is on the disabled list.
So the umps were given three names and the two players playing were both plunked.
A pretty accurate scouting report by Palermo, who was considered the best when he worked American League games from 1977-to-1991.
We wondered with all the hitters on both side who had been hit with the most pitches between the two American League East rivals.
So, we added up the hit batters over the last three years.
Obviously this does not count Marcus Stroman throwing behind the head of Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph last year or O’s reliever Darren O’Day or Garcia throwing behind Bautista as was the case earlier this season.
O’s hitters have been hit more often by Toronto pitchers than Baltimore pitchers have hit Jays pitchers since opening day 2013.
Jays hitters
Brett Lawrie 5 (Jim Johnson, Tommy Hunter, Josh Stinson, Miguel Gonzalez, Bud Norris), Jose Bautista 3 (Norris, Darren O’Day, Mike Wright), Russell Martin 3 (Kevin Gausman, Hunter, Chris Tillman), Ezequiel Carrera 2 (Tillman, Gonzalez), J.P. Arencibia (Freddie Garcia); Rajai Davis (Pedro Strop), Emilio Bonifacio (Jason Hammel), Menenori Kawasaki (Tillman), Juan Francisco (Tillman), Edwin Encarnacion (Norris), Melky Cabrera (Gonzalez), Devon Travis (Tillman), Ryan Goins (Garcia).
Orioles hitters
Chris Davis 5 (Aaron Loup 2, Todd Redmond 2, Mark Buehrle); Nick Markakis 4 (Steve Delabar, Darren Oliver, Redmond, Loup), Ryan Flaherty 4 (R.A. Dickey, Esmil Rogers, Dustin McGowan, Loup), Adam Jones 3 (Hutchison, Liam Hendriks, Roberto Osuna), David Lough 3 (McGowan, Hutchison, Jeff Franics), Steve Pearce 2 (J.A. Happ, Drew Hutchison), Nate McClouth (Kyle Drabek), Steve Lombardozzi (McGowan), Delmon Young (Dickey), Caleb Joseph (Hutchison), Manny Machado (Happ), Jonathan Schoop (Aaron Sanchez) Alejandro De Aza (Sanchez), Chris Parmalee (Brett Cecil).
Hit batters
Year Orioles Jays
2013 10 7
2014 9 7
2015 9 7
Toal 29 21