Kiermaier hit after scouting report incident
Hit by a pitch two days after scooping up a Toronto scouting report and setting off a flap, Kevin Kiermaier hopes to see the Blue Jays in the playoffs.
“Oh yeah, it was intentional,” Kiermaier said after reliever Ryan Borucki hit him on the back with his first pitch in the eighth inning Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Tampa Bay’s 7-1 victory clinched its third straight postseason berth. When asked why he wants to face Toronto again, Kiermaier replied: “The motivation is there. That’s all that needs to be said.”
“Pretty much almost went behind me,” Kiermaier said. “I thought it was a weak move, to be quite honest. It’s over. It’s didn’t hurt by any means, so I don’t care. Whatever. We move on. We got a series win, and I hope we play those guys, I really do.”
Borucki was ejected after the umpires met, which prompted Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo and enraged pitching coach Pete Walker to storm out of the dugout to argue as players spilled onto the field. Walker also was tossed, and there were no incidents between the players.
“I wanted to go down and away, as I was coming forward I felt the ball slip out of my hand and I missed up and in, and I accidentally hit him,” Borucki said. “They can think want they want over there in their locker room, but it is what it is.”
Borucki was tossed by crew chief Joe West. “I was just like, I missed arm-side, like I miss arm-side a lot,” Borucki said. “I pitch inside all the time, and he was like, ‘You’ve just got to go.’ ”
Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe called the hit by pitch “kind of bush league,” while manger Kevin Cash was disappointed.
Montoyo said Kiermaier was not hit intentionally, maintaining he didn’t want to use another pitcher in the one-sided game.
REDS’ BELL GETS 2-YEAR EXTENSION >> The Cincinnati Reds and manager David Bell announced a two-year extension through of his contract through 2023.
Bell, 49, agreed in October 2018 to a threeyear contract that included a team option for 2022. The Reds are 76-74 this season, third in the NL Central, and 184-190 under Bell.
“I think we’ve talked about this all year,” general manager Nick Krall said after Wednesday’s game against Pittsburgh was rained out. “He’s done a great job with the team we have right now, and it was natural to have him leading us forward. We got to the playoffs last year, and we’ve had a great run this year, and we still have a chance. He knows how to run a clubhouse, and he knows how to run a dugout.” BASSITT RETURNS >> Oakland right-hander Chris Bassitt promised to return to the mound by season’s end following a frightening 100 mph line drive to the face on Aug. 17.
He’ll get his chance today in the series finale against Seattle at the Coliseum. Bassitt (12-4, 3.22) underwent facial surgery Aug. 24 to repair three cheekbone fractures after being struck by a liner off the bat of Brian Goodwin of the White Sox.
“It’s been a little bit of a torture chamber,” Bassitt said. “I’m happy to finally be back and, hopefully, help the team win.”