Nats angered by Kapler's late aggression in Giants' 7-1 win

WASHINGTON (AP) — A six-run lead in the ninth inning wasn't enough for Giants manager Gabe Kapler, and the Nationals took exception.

With two outs in the top of the ninth on Friday night and San Francisco ahead 7-1, the Giants' Thairo Estrada took off on an 0-1 pitch and Brandon Crawford blooped a single over Washington shortstop Alcides Escobar, who grabbed the ball and threw out Estrada at the plate.

Heading off the field, Escobar walked over to the third-base line and began yelling into the Giants' dugout. He was soon joined by Victor Robles. Manager Dave Martinez and group of Nationals came onto the field and Martinez guided Escobar off. The Giants remained in their dugout, and the incident didn't escalate further as San Francisco beat Washington 7-1.

“They did some things that we felt like (were) uncalled for,” Martinez said. “But you guys can ask Gabe Kapler about that.”

Kapler has made it known he doesn’t believe in the unwritten rules of baseball, such as no bunting or running with a big lead. He said his team was playing aggressively out of respect for Washington's lineup.

“We scored seven runs in an inning tonight. With Josh Bell and Juan Soto and Nelson Cruz in the middle of their lineup, we know they’re capable of scoring seven runs in an inning as well,” Kapler said. “It’s definitely not about running up the score. We felt like we’re respecting our opponents and we’re gonna respect our opponents at every turn. This is about using every tool at our disposal to compete.”

Escobar declined to comment.

The confrontation was the only tense moment late in a contest that was decided early against struggling Nationals starter Patrick Corbin.

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source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Slater-homers-Giants-chase-Corbin-early-beat-17121095.php