TORONTO — Intense and fiery a competitor as Jose Berrios is, the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander isn’t some hot-head prone to popping off at opponents. So when he had some words for Cal Raleigh as each was returning to their respective dugouts after Dylan Moore popped out to end the fourth inning Saturday, something notable prompted the outburst.
That something turned out to be a belief the Seattle Mariners catcher was relaying pitches from second base when Rowdy Tellez struck out the previous batter — dangling his right arm for fastball, holding it straight for breaking ball. A mound visit from Pete Walker preceded the Moore out, and the Blue Jays' pitching coach is hawkishly vigilant about opponents trying to steal pitches from his staff. Just last week in Boston, he appeared not to be happy with the Red Sox, perhaps for that reason.
Berrios didn’t like it, obviously, and after the inning let Raleigh know as they crossed paths walking off the field. The benches cleared, and while the sides remained separate and calm quickly restored, with umpires warning both benches, it did add an intriguing subplot to what finished as an 8-4 Blue Jays loss in 12 innings.
“I don't react that way very often. I'm a quiet and chill guy,” said Berrios. “But when some people are trying to fight with us in the field, I don't respect that, I don't like that. I was trying to (stand) up there for myself but also for my teammates. And I see the support of my teammates today and that's (who we are). We are family here and when we go out, we go out all together.”
Raleigh denied relaying the pitches and pointed to the results – “Rowdy was way off-balance, so I didn't have the pitches,” he said — as proof of that.
But he also understood the way Berrios reacted, saying “I’d want my pitchers doing the same thing if somebody thought they were tipping, want them to say something. Just how it is, competitive baseball game. People are right in the heart of it.”
He and Berrios especially, as the two faced off again in the fifth inning, when Raleigh’s go-ahead two-run double down the right-field line survived a replay challenge and put the Mariners up 2-1. Berrios followed with a clean sixth, and after RBI singles by Alejandro Kirk in the fifth and Bo Bichette in the sixth put the Blue Jays back up, Ben Williamson’s solo shot to open the seventh knotted things up again and ended the righty’s afternoon.
From there, the bullpens traded great escapes until the 12th when Julio Rodriguez opened the inning against Jacob Barnes, the fifth Blue Jays reliever, with a fly ball that advanced J.P. Crawford to third base. Barnes then walked Leo Rivas and Raleigh to load the bases, Randy Arozarena punched a single through the right side to break the tie, and another out later, Rowdy Tellez cranked a grand slam that broke the game open.
Up to that point, Brendon Little, Nick Sandlin, Chad Green and Yariel Rodriguez had provided the Blue Jays with five shutout innings of work on a day when Yimi Garcia and Jeff Hoffman were unavailable. But after grinding Logan Gilbert out for seven hits but only two runs in 4.2 innings, they couldn’t capitalize against the Mariners bullpen after having the first two batters reach in the ninth and then squandering a runner at third with one out in both the 10th and 11th innings, the execution pivotal to a three-game win streak lacking before a crowd of 36,775.
“Had chances there ninth, 10th, 11th, missed some pitches, they made some good pitches (to) guys you want up in those spots,” lamented manager John Schneider. The bullpen “did an outstanding job. Yariel, two extra-inning innings is really hard to do without allowing a run. They did a great job on a day both Yimi and Hoff were down.”
Despite allowing only four hits, Berrios was in-and-out of trouble over his six-plus innings, with only two clean frames due to four walks issued. Raleigh opened the eventful fourth with a single and Luke Raley walked one out later to put two on.
Berrios rallied to strike out Tellez before Walker’s mound visit, with Moore popping the first pitch, a slurve, into foul territory by first base where Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hauled it in. Raleigh rounded third, running the ball out, and Berrios said something to him as they crossed paths leaving the field.
Kirk got in between them and as the exchange continued, the dugouts emptied but remained separate.
Berrios was surprised the situation escalated since he didn’t say anything threatening to Raleigh.
"I just said, 'Don't do that? I know what you're doing,' and he got mad,” he relayed. “After that we are human beings, so whatever happens, happens.”
The implementation of PitchCom for catchers and pitchers to share signs was meant to eliminate the tensions around sign-stealing, but pitchers are still responsible for hiding their grip and catchers disguising where they are setting up.
Anything that happens on the field “is part of the game, is fair game,” Schneider acknowledged, while adding that it “looks pretty obvious as to what (Raleigh) was doing.”
“In the heat of the moment you get a little bit fired up, I didn't think the benches needed to clear, there was nothing crazy going on,” added Schneider. “But I like when our guys are sticking up for themselves — it’s their career, it's our season, you know what I mean? If it's going to be blatant, you say something and you move on.”
There were no other extra-curriculars between the clubs, but Alan Roden collided at full speed with Tellez in the fifth when Collin Snider fielded a little roller and pulled the first baseman into the lane with a poor relay throw.
Tellez absorbed all of Roden’s momentum and the rookie dropped, eventually regaining his wind and remaining in the game.
“Big human versus not-as-big human,” quipped Tellez, who delivered a much different blow in the 12th, ensuring the Blue Jays had little chance of rallying in the bottom half. Barnes “gave me a pitch to hit, just grateful I was able to come through the second time with the bases loaded.”
The Blue Jays weren’t able to come through in their many chances, leaving them to make a point, but not collect a win, too.
