Tempers flare between Giants, Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Tempers flared and the benches cleared after San Francisco Giants starter Madison Bumgarner shouted something toward the Texas Rangers bench as the fourth inning ended Friday night.

Delino DeShields had an infield popout to end the inning, flipping his bat after hitting the ball. Earlier in the fourth, Rougned Odor made a hard slide into fellow second baseman Joe Panik to break up a potential double play.

Bumgarner looked directly at the Rangers bench and shouted something as he left the mound. That led to Rangers players coming out on the field, and the Giants bench and both bullpens quickly followed.

"In the beginning, it was Odor, for the bunt. Then Delino's was, you know, (Bumgarner) kind of got a little excited when he made that pitch," Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said after Texas' 6-3 win over the Giants. "I don't get it. He likes to intimidate. I don't know if he intimidates doing that."

No punches were thrown, and players from both teams were kept separated by umpires.

"I think it was pretty self-explanatory, don't you?" Bumgarner said afterward, without elaborating on what happened.

There were no ejections after umpires spoke with both managers.

"(Bumgarner) was a little grumpy anyway because of the heat and the way the game was going," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "That was his boiling point. He settled down, and that's over. Those things happen."

Two weeks ago, Texas had a similar melee in Houston after Odor, who had homered earlier in that game, got into a testy exchange with Astros catcher Hank Conger while getting ready to bat to start the ninth.

Bumgarner (11-6) gave up six earned runs, including homers to Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre, in the Giants' first visit since clinching the 2010 World Series in Texas.

"I'm glad Madison didn't throw like that in that ballgame," Bochy said, referring to Game 4 of the 2010 World Series, the only other time Bumgarner has pitched at Texas.

Bumgarner said the 95-degree temperature at first pitch Friday wasn't an issue, and that he felt he threw decent pitches on the balls hit out of the park.

"Just getting some outs, really. I found a way to get them out," he said, explaining the difference after the first two innings. "They went in with a different game plan. I was able to adjust as the game went on for us."

Only moments after newly acquired Cole Hamels appeared in the Rangers dugout wearing his No. 35 uniform for the first time, shaking hands with new teammates, both benches and bullpens were clearing.

"Yeah, that's some serious excitement," said Hamels, whose Rangers debut Saturday night comes a day after an eight-player trade completed to bring him from Philadelphia. "Just to be welcomed with them and then to join them."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.