Dodgers manager Dave Roberts apologized for yelling at Diamondbacks pitcher Robbie Ray a day after the benches cleared following the final pitch on Friday night.
“Dave wanted to apologize; he sincerely didn’t know it was me he was yelling at,” Ray said ahead of Saturday’s game. “I get it. In the heat of the moment, you’ve got 25 guys on each team with a Type-A personality not really to take anything from anybody. We’re all competitors.”
No punches were thrown in the postgame confrontation, but there was plenty of yelling and shouting after Arizona closer Archie Bradley pointed at some vocal players in the Dodgers dugout after getting the last out.
Ray, who had earlier left the game after pitching six innings, came out of the dugout wearing shorts and a pullover, and Roberts mistook the pitcher for a staff member, and screamed in his direction to get off the field.
“I just saw something over there where things were getting defused, and then you see another person that’s really trying to instigate, and it’s just like, it’s not necessary,” Roberts said Friday.
Ray said he appreciated Roberts’ gesture after the case of mistaken identity.
“I was just minding my own business,” the pitcher said Friday. “I was out behind everybody, and then I hear someone yell at me. I’m not just going to sit there and take it. I’m not just going to sit there and let you yell at me like that, so if you want to do something about it that’s fine. But I’m not going to wear it.”
Bradley was less apologetic about the incident, but said he did not hold any grudges heading into the rest of the weekend series.
“That’s one thing I would say that you could tell all those guys: Nothing is personal,” Bradley said. “They were cussing at me, throwing s— back. I mean, it’s the game. That’s what makes this so great. Yeah, there are a million games ahead of us. Who cares? It’s about that game, that moment, and that’s what makes this sport great.”