Jose Bautista #19 of the Toronto Blue Jays backs away from a high pitch during MLB game action against the Tampa Bay Rays August 26, 2011 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Brad White/Getty Images)Brad White/Getty Images
After his public outburst in the dugout, Jose Bautista chose to keep his thoughts about umpire Bill Welke to himself.
After getting tossed in the sixth inning Friday night in the game against the Tampa Bay Rays, the normally engaging Toronto Blue Jays slugger declined to speak to reporters who wanted to ask him about his flare-up.
The Rays would go on to inflict a 6-1 victory over the Blue Jays with Tampa pitcher James shield pitching a complete game seven-hitter, striking out 12 along the way.
After striking out for the third time in the game leading off the sixth, Bautista stalked back into the dugout where he viciously swung his bat against the wall sending a loud clap reverberating throughout the stadium.
The Major League's home run leader then shouted a few choice words out towards Welke, who didn't waste any time ejecting the right fielder from the game.
Bautista's response was to hurl his bat, batting helmet, arm pad and water bottle out onto the field before he made his departure.
Don Wakamatsu, the Toronto bench coach who was filling in for manager John Farrell, who missed the game recovering from pneumonia, said he wasn't surprised by the intense display of emotion from his right fielder.
"What makes him special is he's so competitive and obviously he thought some of those pitches were borderline or out of the zone which put him in the hole against an awfully good pitcher," Wakamatsu said.
"We went into this game fully aware of what he's done against us so I think there was some emotions flying and guys were competitive. And I think obviously with the strikeouts it got to him a little bit."
With the victory Shields improved to 12-10 on the season and is now 5-1 over his last seven starts against the Blue Jays.