Benches clear between A's-Rangers, 2 ejected after Laureano HBP

Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward and right-hander Rafael Montero were ejected from Saturday's game against the Oakland Athletics after a benches-clearing incident.

Emotions boiled over after Montero hit Athletics outfielder Ramon Laureano in the bottom of the eighth.

Earlier in the game, Laureano took right-hander Adrian Sampson deep, resulting in the two exchanging some choice words.

Both benches were warned after the back-and-forth jawing.

"I told him, 'Remember you stepped on my bat? Here. You can step on it again,'" Laureano said following the heated game about his exchange with Sampson, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

The 25-year-old was apparently upset that Sampson stepped on his bat in a June 8 contest, an act he considered to be intentional, according to Slusser.

Laureano's teammate, Mark Canha, disclosed that Sampson had "a target on his back" after the last time the two teams played.

Sampson, meanwhile, said the only thing that he remembers about that June 8 game was that he pitched nine innings.

Oakland and Texas will finish off their four-game series Sunday.