Gomez, Kela rebut retaliation claim

Rangers outfielder Carlos Gomez and reliever Keone Kela both denied allegations by Angels manager Mike Scioscia that they were intent on injuring his shortstop, Andrelton Simmons, on Tuesday night.

“Why do they make that comment when they don’t do the right stuff ?” Gomez said Wednesday.

After the game, Scioscia said Gomez was irritated at Simmons for blocking him off second base on a tag play in the sixth inning and indicated there would be retaliation. In the seventh, Kela threw a high brush-back pitch to Simmons.

Scioscia said the pitch was in a dangerous area and nearly hit Simmons in the neck.

“I wasn’t trying to throwat his neck,” Kela said. “I’ve never been the type of individual who wants to harm an opposing player. The ball slipped. I wasn’t trying to hit him in the ear, as you could tell from the pitches moving forward.

“If Mike Scioscia wanted to know how I felt, he could have come and asked me about it.”

Gomez acknowledged he was upset at how Simmons blocked the base because it created an injury risk but added that he never threatened payback by the Rangers.

“I said “Hey, just play clean. That’s not necessary,’ ” Gomez said. “It’s not just about me; it’s about anybody. You can’t play that type of game.

“We are planning on going to the playoffs. For a team that is eliminated to try to hurt another player, I don’t think that’s fair.”

Gomez said he considers himself to be a peaceful man, but he will respond if pushed.

“If they want to play thatgame, I can play that game or worse,” Gomez said. “But at the end of the season, that’s not necessary.”