Opponents Odor, Ventura enjoy friendly rivalry

ARLINGTON — Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor and Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura have displayed their fiery personalities this season as the centerpieces of infamous brawls.

It appeared they almost found themselves in one of their own in the Rangers’ 3-2 win against the Royals Thursday night. Odor stood in the batter’s box a few extra seconds after he sent a Ventura fastball into the upper deck in right field for a solo home run in the second.

Ventura intently watched Odor round the bases, and stared him down again after he struck him out to end the fourth. But the back-and-forth battle was all in good nature between two longtime friends.

“We played a lot of times in the Minor Leagues. I’ve faced him a lot of times. But we are good friends,” Odor said. “We’re always playing around.”

“Even though we’re not on the same team, we have a good friendship,” Ventura said through interpreter Pedro GrifolI. “I was just having a good time with him.”

Ventura struck out Odor twice when they faced each other last Saturday in Kansas City. Odor wanted to make sure he knew he got the best of him for at least one at-bat on Thursday.

“He struck me out …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com