After exchange of hit batters, Blue Jays and Royals escalate feud by trading barbs on Twitter

TORONTO – The Royals and Blue Jays have moved on: After an exchange of hit batters, they’re now trading barbs on Twitter.

First, Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista posted a message Sunday night saying he had “lost a lot of respect” for Ned Yost after hearing the Royals manager praise home plate umpire Jim Wolf’s handling of Sunday’s game.

Two Blue Jays batters were hit by pitches and reliever Aaron Sanchez was ejected for retaliating by hitting Kansas City infielder Alcides Escobar.

That prompted Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura to post Tweets calling Bautista a “nobody” and accuse him of stealing signs. Ventura later deleted the messages.

Bautista took the high road when asked to respond to Ventura’s comments Monday.

“He’s a young player that could use some maturing,” Bautista said. “Hopefully he focuses on playing the game and allowing his ability to create a name for himself.”

Bautista didn’t back down from his remarks about Yost, calling the manager’s praise of Wolf “ridiculous.”

Wold warned both benches after Royals pitcher Edinson Volquez hit Toronto’s Josh Donaldson in the first inning of Sunday’s game, a 5-2 Blue Jays win.

Donaldson complained to Wolf after Volquez and reliever Ryan Madson missed high and inside later in the game. Madson also hit Toronto’s Troy Tulowitzki. Neither pitcher was ejected.

Volquez responded after the game by calling Donaldson “a little baby.”

Wolf ejected Sanchez after Escobar was hit on the thigh in the eighth, causing both benches and both bullpens to empty. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, who had been ejected earlier for arguing with Wolf, returned to the field for the melee. No punches were thrown.