Watch: Royals, White Sox managers face off after Keller hits Anderson with pitch
It’s possible this was an accident, but the timing of Royals starter Brad Keller hitting Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson with a pitch was notable.
In his previous at-bat in the fourth inning, Anderson hit a home run and celebrated with a big bat flip.
That may not have made Keller and the Royals happy. When Anderson stepped to the plate in the sixth inning, Keller hit him in the rear end with a pitch.
Benches cleared and White Sox manager Rick Renteria was not pleased, and that seemed to upset Royals manager Ned Yost.
It made for an interesting scene at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Here is Anderson’s bat flip:
Anderson upset Royals catcher Salvador Perez last year after a home run at Kauffman Stadium, so Anderson wasn’t the Royals’ favorite opponent before Wednesday’s game.
After being hit by the pitch, Anderson was clearly not happy:
Both benches emptied and at one point, Yost and Renteria were jawing at each other (and you can hear broadcasters from both teams):
Here’s a look at the bullpens emptying:
Keller, Renteria, Anderson and Royals bench coach Dale Sveum were ejected.
This story was originally published April 17, 2019 at 4:01 PM.
