Bryan Baker got under the Toronto Blue Jays’ skin with quite the taunt here.
On Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles were playing host to the Blue Jays when tempers flared at the top of the seventh. Baker, who was pitching for the Orioles, struck out Matt Chapman to end the top of the inning to keep Baltimore up 6-5. Then suddenly, the Blue Jays cleared their benches as things got heated between the Toronto players and Baker, who was the subject of their ire.
The reason? Baker taunted the Blue Jays dugout after the play with a hand motion and Toronto wasn’t all that happy about it.
The Blue Jays and Orioles benches clear after Bryan Baker struck out Matt Chapman to end the top of the seventh. pic.twitter.com/ta30veGijc
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 7, 2022
Whether Baker was trying to tell the Blue Jays to shut up or keep talking is unknown, but it’s clear his gesture antagonized the Toronto bench. And to make things even spicier, Baker played one season with the Blue Jays before he was claimed by the Orioles off of waivers in November 2021!
As the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt.