Jose Abreu's in-game response to a hit by pitch sparked a bench-clearing scuffle with the Tigers
It’s pretty clear that the Chicago White Sox are tired of getting hit by the pitch. They’re even taking issue with seemingly unintentional plunkings.
The White Sox have been hit 76 times as a team this season — compared to hitting opponents just 50 times. And no player on the White Sox has been hit by more pitches than Jose Abreu this year. He went into Monday’s game with 20 HBP and he wasn’t pleased about taking No. 21 to the elbow.
After Alex Lange’s 0-2, 97 mph fastball hit Abreu on the elbow in the ninth inning, frustrations were obvious from the White Sox dugout. Bench coach Miguel Cairo was ejected for shouting from the dugout. Tony La Russa also had some words with the umpiring crew.
STOP HITTING ABREU pic.twitter.com/gI794sWuA8
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) September 27, 2021
But the real fireworks started the following at-bat.
Abreu tried to take second on a pitch in the dirt and was thrown out in a close play at the bag. Abreu, though, went into second unusually hard. His slide looked like a takeout slide you’d see to break up a double play, which understandably had the Tigers’ Niko Goodrum upset.
Abreu was taking his frustration out on Goodrum when the Tigers infielder had nothing to do with the hit by pitch. It was a needlessly hard slide, after all.
Benches have cleared between the White Sox and Tigers after a Jose Abreu slide into 2nd.
(via @NBCSWhiteSox) pic.twitter.com/TlpKM75UOB
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 27, 2021
That exchange set Abreu off even more as benches cleared while the two players were separated.
Thankfully, the scuffle didn’t escalate beyond a bunch of pushing, holding each other back and yelling. It was the final inning of the final game between the two division rivals this season, so it’ll be an easy ordeal to move on from.
The White Sox held on to win, 8-7.