Pillar: I went out there to get Odor
Kevin Pillar had only Rougned Odor in his sights when he stormed the field in the heat of Sunday's bench-clearing brawl.
After witnessing the Texas Rangers second baseman deliver a firm right hook to teammate Jose Bautista's jaw, the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder was hell-bent on getting back at Odor in the same manner.
"Given the circumstances, I felt like he was owed one," Pillar told Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling on Monday. "And I was going out there to get him."
Related: Rough past: 3 other times Odor started beef
Pillar wasn't the only Blue Jay who locked onto Odor in the melee. Josh Donaldson was also seen chasing after the Rangers infielder, and, along with Pillar, will likely face repercussions from the league office for his involvement in the incident, even if the outfielder was only doing what he felt was right.
"I don't think I did anything wrong ... I think I did what was necessary," he said, according to Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith.
Related: Social media goes wild after Odor's punch
For Pillar, though, the thought of getting revenge far outweighed the chance of a suspension.
"You're going out there as a soldier to protect your guy and protect what you think is right. It's unfortunate that it had to escalate to that. But in the heat of the moment, I think everyone in here did what they thought was right," the outfielder added, according to Zwelling. "When a guy gets a clean shot like that, most of us, our only thought process was getting one back. An eye for an eye, that's how a lot of us approached it."
(Video courtesy: MLB.com)