An unforeseen feud came to life Wednesday night, a spat pitting one of baseball’s most gregarious catchers against one of its most thoughtful pitchers.
For one moment inside Tropicana Field, Royals catcher Salvador Perez and Tampa Bay starter Chris Archer shared words and glances following an errant 96 mph fastball in the top of the seventh inning. In the moments after the Royals absorbed a 12-1 loss to the Rays, the emotions spilled over to the visiting clubhouse.
Archer professed innocence after drilling Perez with a first-pitch fastball. Perez, who finished 2 for 2 on his 27th birthday, offered a forceful retort.