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The Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Guardians were involved in a heated contest on Thursday. With the series on the line in the finale, tempers flared at Progressive Field.
Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was struck by Guardians ace Tanner Bibee's sinker on the right forearm in the top of the third inning. The star slugger left the game to get checked by the medical staff after being hit by a Guardians pitcher for a second consecutive game.
The Blue Jays seemingly retaliated in the next inning as starter Kevin Gausman hit Guardians star Jose Ramirez. The All-Star slugger was struck on the right forearm as he tried to avoid the 95.0 mph fastball.
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The benches and bullpens from both teams were warned by the umpire crew after the hit-by-pitch incidents. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said the hit on Ramirez wasn't intentional.
“I know they’re not trying to throw at Vlad, we’re not trying to throw at Hosey,” Schneider said. “Just kind of one of those things where you’re trying to make a pitch. I thought everyone handled it fine.”
Although Schneider claimed Ramirez's hit wasn't intentional, Guardians manager and a former All-Star catcher, Stephen Vogt, anticipated a hit on his slugger and had asked the Blue Jays dugout not to target his arm.
“We knew they were gonna hit Hosey,” Vogt said. “We knew it was coming, which is part of the game. All I said was, ‘Hit him in the hip.’ [I] played this game a long time, been around this game a long time. [If] you're gonna hit somebody on purpose, you hit them in the hip, not the arm.”
Guardians pitcher claims Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit wasn't intentional
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was replaced by Davis Schneider before the bottom of the fourth inning. The scans on the Blue Jays slugger came back negative.
Tanner Bibee, who also struck Tyler Heineman in the same inning, said the hit on Guerrero Jr. wasn't intentional.
“He's one of the best hitters in the big leagues,” Bibee said. “[I was] trying to throw a sinker in, just like Junis was yesterday. It just ran in. You make $500 million, you're not going to be able to lean over the plate. It just is what it is. I wasn't trying to hit him.”
Despite Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s early exit, the Blue Jays had enough firepower to brush aside the Guardians for a 6-0 win and seal the series on Thursday.
