Blue Jays, Rangers to meet for 1st time since Bautista bat flip

It's been201days since Jose Bautista's"bat flip heard 'round the world"capped a wildAmerican League Division Serieswinby the Toronto Blue Jays.

But for the Texas Rangers, the memoryof that 6-3 loss, and that celebration,is still fresh.

"It was a game that I probably won't forget for a while for a lot of reasons," Rangers closerShawn Tollesontold MLB.com. "The seventh inning was just crazy. It was an eventful inning and, yeah, it's a memory that I have and I think about once in awhile. It should be fun.

"The first time playing that team since they beat us, for me, yeah, there's a little bit of a carryover and a little bit of excitement, a little extra juice for those games."

Familiar faces, familiar venue

The two teams arelargely unchanged since that last meeting on Oct. 14.

They'llmeet again on Monday (7:07 p.m. ET) to begin a four-game series at Rogers Centre,thesite of that wild Game 5 finish that featured a more than 50-minute seventh inning and afan revolt, as well as Bautista'slate-game heroics.

The three-run homer and the subsequentbatflip immortalized inmemes and ugly Christmas sweaters alike was the subject of many, manyhot takesthroughout the off-season. The Jays went on to the American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals, the eventual World Series champs.

Bautistamade his case for the bat flip when he penned "Are You Flipping Kidding Me?" inThe Players' Tribune, saying he understands howRangers players must havefelt at his show of emotion.

'I'm no angel'

"Some of the Rangers took exception to it, which I can understand. They were on theother side of that emotion. I've been there before. I know how it feels,"Bautistawrote. "I've been pissed off on a baseball field plenty of times.I'm no angel. Is it out of disrespect? Of course not. It's because you're upset and want to win so badly.

"That's just part of the game."

But also "part of the game,"some argue, is that Bautistaviolated theunwritten rulesof baseball, and the slugger may facesome rough treatment by Rangers pitchers at some point during this series.

So what do you think? Are we headed for a showdown at Rogers Centre this week? Vote in our poll and have yoursay!

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