Fight on Royals

Since the start of this season Kansas City Royals hitters have been hit 16 times by opposing pitchers that is the second highest amount in the majors, with the Texas Rangers taking the top spot, but now the big name in the news is Yordano Ventura with him being at the center of several recent incidents where he's throwing at and some times spewing off at the mouth to several hitters. It all came to boil last night against the Chicago White Sox when the benches cleared and punches were thrown, but I don't think Ventura was completely to blame for the whole fracas. At the beginning of the season White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija hit several Royals hitters whether it was by accident or on purpose it got the attention of the Royals pitchers. Now that the Royals are backing up their teammates and hitting the other team's hitters they're wrong?

Alex Rios one of the Royals' more consistent power threats got hurt when he got hit on the hand by a pitch that went up and in when the Royals went against the Minnesota Twins. Eventually hitters get tired of getting hit and of the 16 times Royals hitters have gotten hit 14 have been to Mike Moustakas (5), Alex Gordon (5), and Lorenzo Cain (4). It's about time their pitchers have come to their defense. In a weekend series against the Oakland A's Brett Lawrie, third baseman of the Oakland A's, hurt shortstop Alcides Escobar using a dirty slide going into second base trying to breaking up a double play Lawrie slid into Escobar's leg spraining his knee. During his next at bat Lawrie got hit by Ventura and the next day Oakland A's pitcher Scott Kazmir hit Lorenzo Cain. In my opinion Kazmir did it on purpose as did Royals reliever Kelvin Herrera who then threw behind Lawrie with his 100 mph fastball which led to a bench clearing stare down between the A's and Royals. As long as Royals hitters are getting hit more Royals pitchers are going to retaliate, as they should.