Blue Jays Escalate Rays Feud by Plunking Kiermaier, Benches Clear

Benches cleared Wednesday night when Blue Jays pitcher Ryan Borucki hit Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier with a pitch, adding another chapter to a feud that started Monday when Kiermaier picked up a note card off the ground showing Toronto's pitching game plan. 

Borucki and Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker were both ejected from the game.

During Tampa Bay's 6–4 win on Monday, Kiermaier tried to score in the sixth inning but was tagged out by Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, ending the inning. After Kirk retreated to Toronto's dugout, Kiermaier noticed a piece of paper had fallen out of Kirk's wristband and took it back to his dugout. 

The Rays then discovered the card contained Toronto's game plan for Rays hitters. The next day, Kiermaier said he hadn't initially known what it was and that he had handed it to team personnel and didn't know what happened to the card after that. 

“Everything was so quick and after I did it I was like, ‘Dang, their scouting reports or whatever it was, was on the ground and I grabbed it.’ Like I said, it got to the point that I’m not going to return it or do that," he said. "It’s September, whatever. I didn’t know what was going on.”

BACCELLIERI: Don't Blame the Rays for Taking the Jays' Notecard

The Blue Jays were reportedly livid when they realized what happened and even sent a bat boy to Tampa Bay's dugout for it to be returned, which was rebuffed, per Sportsnet's Arash Madani. On Wednesday, Rays manager Kevin Cash and Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo reportedly settled the debacle and Cash returned the card, per MLB Network's John Heyman.

The Rays eventually went on to win 7–1 Wednesday night to become the first AL team of the season to clinch a playoff berth.