Why Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox stormed the field: ‘It wasn’t intentional’

Detroit Tigers rookie reliever Alex Lange didn’t mean to do it.

“Obviously, I’m not trying to hit a guy in the ninth inning and down by one run after we just put five (runs),” Lange said after Monday’s 8-7 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. “That’s not any way to come into a game. There’s no beef. It happens. It’s baseball. ... It wasn’t intentional.”

Following a five-run eighth inning, cutting the deficit to one run, Tigers manager AJ Hinch called Lange out of the bullpen for the top of the ninth. Slugger Jose Abreu — poised to lead his team on a deep postseason run — stepped to the plate with one out.

Minutes later, the teams were involved in a flurry of activities, highlighted by the benches and bullpens clearing. The Tigers and White Sox didn’t throw any punches, but there was plenty of posturing and pushing from both sides behind second base….

“I’ll say what I have to say to the appropriate people. But this is not the appropriate time or people,” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “It seems (the Tigers) have issues when someone plays aggressively but not when they pitch aggressively and beyond the limits. The game is played two ways, not just one way.”