Rays right-hander Matt Garza doesn’t really care what Orioles designated hitter Luke Scott thinks of him. But he did have a rebuttal for Scott’s comments –which included referencing the Bible — to chastise Garza’s boasting.
Garza, who considers himself religious as well, told the St.Petersburg Times prior to Saturdya’s game that religion is something “that shouldn’t even be allowed” to be brought into a baseball game.
“That’s a topic where you don’t ever bring that up,” Garzas said of Scott referencing proverbs that included “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
“My feeling is that God has a lot better things to worry about than if I’m going to throw a strike on a certain pitch,” Garza told the Times. “A lot of other things. I’d rather (Scott) not bring it up.”
The firery Rays righty made waves prior to Friday’s start for comments he told reporters
in St. Petersbrug, which included the desire for a payback outing against the Orioles that would basically be like telling them to “shove it down their throats.”
After holding the O’s to one run over 5 2/3 innings, Garza said the mental game had been won, and Scott –who admitted Garza backed up his words — also voiced his displeasure over the public trash-talking.
Garza also told the Times that Scott’s post game comments were somewhat hypocritical given his elaborate home run celebration that includes pointing to the sky, hugging the on-deck hitter and high-fiving multiple teammates in what many Orioles have referenced as a “happy” home run celebration.
“It’s the same thing, where you’re showing up the other guy,” Garza said. “The game’s gone that far to where it’s acceptable. It’s just what it is.”
