Benches cleared in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s Giants-Padres game after San Diego reliever Shawn Kelley had words for San Francisco’s Hector Sanchez following a groundout.
Sanchez hit a grand slam in the sixth and rankled the Padres by admiring his work and flipping his bat. Pitcher Dale Thayer, who gave up the big blow, threw his gum at Sanchez as the catcher made his way to first.
Kelley, who had thrown in on Sanchez prior to retiring him, said he found the bat flip disrespectful.
“I guess that’s part of the game now. To me, that’s a little disrespectful, especially to Dale (Thayer). I don’t think there’s a place in this game for that, but it’s part of it,” Kelley said via the San Jose Mercury News. “Guys admire what they do, and when you get one, sometimes guys watch it. But that’s between him and his teammates and the Giants. That’s not our business.”
After the game, Sanchez justified his celebration and said he didn’t notice the gum toss.
“Oh really? I didn’t notice that,” said Sanchez, asked about the gum toss. “I’m just trying to enjoy the game. It’s a grand slam. You don’t hit them every day. If someone gets mad, I don’t know the reason. I’m just enjoying the game.”
Sanchez has a right to enjoy his grand slam for a second. His celebration wasn’t excessive much less disrespectful. The Padres are just bitter that they got smacked 9-0.
