Danks labels Jays' Bautista a 'clown'

After getting hammered 13-4 by the Toronto Blue Jays, John Danks fired back at Jose Bautista, accusing the Toronto slugger of showing him up in Sunday's game.

After Bautista popped out in the fourth inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox, the leading home run hitter in the major-league spiked his bat in anger as he was running to first before the catch was made.

As he was returning to the dugout and jogging past Danks, the White Sox starting pitcher said something to Bautista and the two had a sharp exchange.

"I just told him to run the bases," Danks said afterwards. "He was out there acting like a [expletive]clown. I told him to run the bases.

"He's a good player. He's had a great year and a half, no doubt, he's been one of the best hitters in the league. He was out there acting like he's Babe Ruth or something."

Bautista didn't appreciate Danks's sentiments.

"It should not be his concern anyways," Bautista said. "I was upset at missing a pitch - at myself. If he took it the wrong way, I'm sorry.

"But I'm not here to make him feel good. It really doesn't matter to me what he thought."