Angels Still Standing After Melee

The American League West got a little more wild Tuesday, the Angels and Texas Rangers doing their best Red Sox-Yankee impersonation by engaging in a huge melee ... about 90 minutes before Tuesday night’s game.

“I’ve seen a lot of brawls,” said former Angel Bobby Grich, who was enjoying a leisurely afternoon around the batting cage when he suddenly found himself in the middle of the fight. “But never during batting practice.”

The scuffle, sparked by Angel second baseman Adam Kennedy and Ranger catcher Gerald Laird, overshadowed another masterful performance by Angel pitcher Bartolo Colon, who gave up one hit and struck out eight in seven shutout innings to lead a 2-0 victory over the Rangers in front of an Angel Stadium crowd of 42,625.

Francisco Rodriguez threw a scoreless eighth, and closer Troy Percival retired the side in order in the ninth for career save No. 299 and his first save since July 11, as the Angels pulled within four games of Texas in the division.

The Angels didn’t show much punch, eking out two runs in the fourth on Jose Guillen’s RBI double and Robb Quinlan’s broken-bat RBI single, but they had plenty of fight in them before the game.

The incident, which occurred as the Angels were finishing batting practice and the Rangers were stretching and playing catch in front of their dugout, was a spillover from a heated exchange between Kennedy and Laird during Monday night’s game.

Kennedy approached Laird near the batting cage Tuesday and, according to Laird, “tried to forearm sucker-punch me.” The two became entangled, and within moments, players and coaches from both teams rushed the pair, pushing and shoving each other in a huge scrum that drifted toward the backstop.

No punches appeared to be thrown, but Texas outfielder Brian Jordan, a former NFL defensive back, at one point had Kennedy in a firm headlock and exchanged angry words with several Angels after releasing Kennedy.

Order was quickly restored, the Angels finished batting practice and retreated to their clubhouse.

“I know there was an issue between them [Monday] night,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Adam took exception to something Laird was doing, and obviously, it wasn’t quite resolved.”

The dispute between Kennedy and Laird, a rookie and former Westminster La Quinta High star, stemmed from Kennedy’s second-inning at-bat Monday night, when Kennedy appeared to lean toward an inside pitch with the bases loaded.

Laird, accusing Kennedy of trying to get hit by a pitch to force in a run, complained to the umpire and told Kennedy to “swing the bat.” Kennedy could be seen on television jawing back at Laird, and tempers appeared to flare a bit between the two in later at-bats.

Then Tuesday, Kennedy, according to an eyewitness, stared down Laird behind the batting cage. Laird said something to the effect of, “Do you have a problem?” To which Kennedy supposedly replied, “Don’t be trying to show me up.”

And the fight was on.

Kennedy refused to comment before the game, but afterward, he confirmed accounts of the incident.

“We were talking about [Monday night’s dispute] and it got a little out of hand,” Kennedy said. “Everything happened kind of fast. I don’t think any punches were thrown.... As far as I’m concerned, it’s over. I don’t know what’s on his agenda.”

Scioscia didn’t believe tensions between the teams would carry over into Tuesday night’s game, and home-plate umpire and crew chief Mike Reilly did not feel a need to issue any warnings before the game. Kennedy had a single in three at-bats, but Laird did not play.

Angel right fielder Vladimir Guerrero, who sparked a bench-clearing incident after being hit by a pitch in Seattle Friday, took exception to a Joaquin Benoit fastball that hit him in the hip in the sixth inning Tuesday night. Guerrero took a few steps toward the mound, but Reilly quickly intervened.

“Everything was handled professionally -- no one was throwing at people,” Percival said. “Brian Jordan did a good job of breaking up the fight pretty quick. I think A.K. had a right to be upset. You have a young catcher back there basically telling him how to hit. But I think it’s over.”

Only one Ranger reached second against Colon, who came out because of minor stiffness in his back.