Archer doesn't expect reprise of Toronto shouting match

ST. PETERSBURG -- Chris Archer does not believe the events that occurred in the Rays' April 16 game in Toronto will escalate into anything when he takes the mound against the Blue Jays Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field.

"No, I hope not," Archer said. "Because it seemed more like a misunderstanding than anything."

Toronto pitcher Mark Buehrle and Archer shouted at each other from their respective dugouts after Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was hit by a pitch from Blue Jays reliever Marco Estrada. The incident occurred in the eighth inning of the Rays' 4-2 series-clinching victory at Rogers Centre.

Archer hit Russell Martin in the second and Edwin Encarnacion in the seventh. After Longoria got hit, Rays reliever Steve Geltz hit Josh Donaldson in the hands in the bottom of the eighth.

"I think they assumed that I was trying to hit people," Archer said. "But if you go back and look, the situations where it got away, there's no way I would."

Video: TB@TOR: Rays, Blue Jays get heated after beanballs

Archer noted that he hit Martin when he was ahead 1-2 in the count and he hit Encarnacion in the seventh inning "when I had 90 pitches, somebody's warming up in the pen.

"There's no way," Archer said. "So it was a misunderstanding. Again, baseball is an emotional sport. We've seen that with the Royals and the Athletics. I'm not going to try to throw 99 to hit somebody. That's just dangerous.

"I'm the type person if I have a true issue with them, the locker room is right there. Hash it out, verbally or however we need to if there really is an issue. And I don't think there's an issue here with this team at all."

Archer was asked if he was disappointed there had been a misunderstanding.

"No, because it's life," Archer said. "It's baseball. It happens. But if somebody hits our franchise guy, I'm going to step up and say something."

After Archer expressed his opinion to the Blue Jays, Buehrle took exception to what Archer said.

"And that's really all it was," Archer said. "I said, 'For what? Why?' Outside of that there weren't really any comments made. We just left it out there. I think that's the best way to handle it. Like clearing the benches and stuff, what does it accomplish? Nothing. If you have an issue with somebody in your personal life or in your work place, you can hash it out without like 50 other people on the field. And there's no issue."

Archer also pointed out that he understands that each team is going to view the situation from its own vantage point as to who was culpable.