DETROIT -- When Mike Fiers hit Giancarlo Stanton with a pitch on his well-padded arm to load the bases in the third inning Monday, the subsequent yelling match between the two players was four years in the making.
On Sept. 11, 2014, Stanton, who then played for the Miami Marlins, was hit in the face while swinging at a pitch from Fiers, then with the Milwaukee Brewers. The frightening injury sidelined Stanton for the rest of the season and led some of his teammates to criticize Fiers' behavior.
Stanton, who hasn't forgotten the incident, told New York reporters that it was naive of Fiers to expect him to quietly take his base when he's hit again.