Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays: Jose Bautista Homers Again, Lays Bat Down

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers have exchanged words and punches over the last year’s time, and when the Jays knocked off the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card game, fans were hoping that these exchanges between the two teams would continue. They were not disappointed in Game One.

In last year’s playoffs, the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays met up in the ALDS, with the Jays eventually winning the series 3-2. The main takeaway from the series was the dramatic eventual game-winning home run off the bat of Jose “Joey Bats” Bautista in Game 5. Bautista, who has always had a flair for the dramatic, capped off the home run with the bat flip heard round the world. Are bat flips audible? It doesn’t matter, the action spoke for itself.

The two teams met up again this year, and in their final meeting of the regular season, Bautista found himself on base after getting plunked by reliever Matt Bush. The timing of the incident was questionable at best, as this was the sixth and final game that the two clubs would play, and it was likely to be Bautista’s final at-bat in that game. It was also in Texas.

With Bautista on first, Justin Smoak hit a grounder to Adrian Beltre at third, and Bautista went into second base hard. He popped up and was met with the right fist of second baseman Rougned Odor.

Now we’re all caught up.

With the video above being the lasting image of the last time these two teams literally squared off, the anticipation was palpable. With Cole Hamels on the mound, a repeat of the original offense was likely not in store for Game One, but in what ended up being a 10-1 blowout by the Toronto Blue Jays, Bautista hit the capper, a three-run shot in the top of the ninth that traveled an estimated 425 feet.

He didn’t exactly put out the fire, however. Instead he fanned the flames.

While you can’t necessarily see it from the replay, at the 16 second mark you can see Bautista begin to lay his bat down on the ground, which is in fact what he ended up doing.

It seems as though there is no clear way to win for Joey Bats if he ends up getting another big hit in this series, as all eyes will be on his bat. He can’t flip it and he likely can’t lay it down without instigating another brawl. Perhaps he should carry it around with him as he rounds the bases? Summon the bat boy to come and grab it before setting off on his trot? That’s the larger question now as the series continues to unfold.

Whatever the eventual outcome of the series ends up being, all eyes will be on Odor and Bautista as this one unfolds.