In an intense Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday night, tensions flared at Rogers Centre in Toronto when Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski hit Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez with a pitch in the fourth inning. The incident led to both benches and bullpens clearing as players from both teams rushed onto the field in response to the hit.
At the time of the incident, Wrobleski had already displayed erratic control by throwing two high-and-inside fastballs to Giménez earlier in the at-bat. His third pitch, a fastball clocked at 96.4 mph, struck Giménez on the right hand, prompting an immediate reaction from the player. As Giménez made his way to first base, he gestured in disbelief and frustration, while Wrobleski approached the plate with his hands raised, seemingly yelling towards the infielder. Umpire Jordan Baker intervened quickly to separate the players and restore order.
Once the players returned to their benches, the umpires held a brief discussion to deliberate on the incident. Crew chief Mark Wegner took the precautionary measure of issuing a warning to both dugouts, indicating that further confrontations would not be tolerated. Following a four-minute delay to calm tempers, play resumed, with Wrobleski facing off against George Springer.
In a rather ironic turn of events, Wrobleski’s second pitch to Springer resulted in the batter hitting a line drive back to the mound, striking Wrobleski on the left leg. Remarkably, the pitcher stayed in the game after being visited by a trainer and manager Dave Roberts. This was a significant moment, as Springer was on a hot streak, having already collected hits in his previous three at-bats.
However, Wrobleski’s outing came to an unfortunate end shortly after. He struck out Nathan Lukes, but as he departed the game, the crowd reacted with boos. Tyler Glasnow was called into relief with the Dodgers trailing 3-1 and runners on first and second base. The inning concluded when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a routine liner to center field, marking the end of that crucial frame.
