Watch: Dodgers and Rangers clear benches after big collision at the plate
Wednesday night’s game between the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers wasn’t promoted as “Turn Back the Clock Night.”
But fans were definitely treated to an old-school baseball moment in the bottom of the third inning.
Leading 2-0 and with Matt Kemp on second when Enrique Hernandez lined a single to right field. As Kemp rounded third and headed toward home, Texas right fielder Nomar Mazara uncorked a throw to the plate.
Texas catcher Robinson Chirinos caught the throw on one hop, but he had to move up the third base line to grab it. That put Chirinos right in the path of Kemp as he tried to score.
The result was one of those home-plate collisions that used to be common in baseball as runners tried to jar the ball loose from catchers. Such dramatic plays are much less common since baseball instituted rules at the start of the 2014 season to all but eliminate collisions at the plate.
Kemp plowed into Chirinos and both players tumbled to the ground. But Chirinos made the tag, held onto the ball despite the contact, and recorded the out.
Benches clear in Rangers-Dodgers game after Matt Kemp, Robinson Chirinos involved in collision at home plate. pic.twitter.com/FZcJoeCb89
— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2018
Not only was it an old-school collision at the plate, there was a bit of an old-school brawl as well.
When both players got up from the play, a shoving match ensued. Rangers pitcher Cole Hamels, who was backing up home on the play, immediately grabbed Kemp from behind and tried to get him away from Chirinos, who wasn’t too happy when Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers tried to restrain him.
Matt Kemp just went old school, tried to plow over Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos on play at the plate. Benches/bullpens empty as Kemp-Chirinos get into shoving match.
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) June 14, 2018
But by that time, both benches had emptied and a full-scale skirmish was underway.
But the scuffle that ensued resulted in Kemp and Chirinos being ejected.
“I thought it was a clean play,” Kemp said after the game, according to MLB.com. “Blocking the plate, ran him over. Pretty much that simple. I was out. It was the shoving match we had [that earned the ejections]. It’s not a big deal. Two guys shoving each other and then it’s over, really. Not that big of a deal, honestly.”
Chirinos seemed to take responsibility for letting his emotions get the best of him.
“I got mad. When he was starting to get up, he kind of leaned into me with his shoulder. That’s when I pushed him,” Chirinos said. “Part of the game. Sorry for the fans that are watching that. It’s not supposed to happen, but it happens, man.”
Coincidentally, it was another bang-bang play at home that decided the game, as Hernandez used an elusive slide to avoid the tag from backup catcher Carlos Perez in the 11th inning to give Los Angeles a 3-2 win.
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