BOSTON (AP) - Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine has called out the Tampa Bay Rays' coaching staff a day after the teams were involved in a benches-clearing scrum.
Valentine said the Rays' staff escalated the situation that arose in the ninth inning of Tampa Bay's 7-4 win on Friday night after Red Sox reliever Franklin Morales hit Luke Scott on the right leg. He called their actions as "unprofessional."
Rays manager Joe Maddon said he had a lot of respect for Boston's players, but would not comment on Valentine's accusations.
Benches cleared after Morales threw behind DH Luke Scott with the first pitch of an at-bat and hit him on a 3-1 pitch.
Afterward, Maddon said of the Red Sox's actions: "That was ridiculous. It was absurd, idiotic."
