Jose Bautista's Toronto Blue Jays have a history of feuds with their AL East rivals Baltimore Orioles. The two sides meet again this weekend with the Jays trending up and the O's falling out of the playoff race, which may be enough to raise tensions once again.

The bad blood between the two teams dates back more than two years, and while the two sides have played two straight series without incident, 12 losses in their 14 games may have the Orioles heated up to take some frustations out on their surging rivals.

While the Orioles have slid down the standings, the Blue Jays exploded in the month of August with 21 wins to grab the AL East lead.

At the centre of the conflicts between the two teams have been Bautista, side-armer Darren O'Day and outfielder Adam Jones all of whom figure to see playing time during the series.

The two sides will meet for one more series following this weekend; in the final three games of the season for each side on September 28-30.

Take a look bad at the history of the two teams as they get set to kickoff a three-game set over Labour Day weekend.
 

June 21, 2013

Orioles relief pitcher O’Day strikes out Bautista to end the inning. As O’Day walked to the dugout, the pitcher started to chirp at Bautista from across the diamond. Bautista responded with a few harsh words of his own.
 

June 22, 2013

The following day, Bautista would face O’Day once again, this time in the eighth inning. With a runner on first, Bautista hit a full-count, two-out pitch over the left-field wall to break a 2-2 tie and give the Jays the eventual win. As Bautista rounded third, the pair exchanged more words and Bautista gave the hand motion to O’Day that he talks too much.

Bautista and O'Day“I told him just to keep talking like he was yesterday,” said Bautista after the game. “He kind of ran his mouth a little bit after he struck me out. I don’t know where that came from, but I didn’t appreciate it and I let him know that yesterday — and that’s a little reminder today, that I didn’t appreciate it.”


September 17, 2014

Blue Jays rookie starting pitcher Marcus Stroman was suspended six games by the MLB for throwing behind Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph two days prior. The incident happened in the sixth inning when the 23-year-old seemed to intentionally throw a hard fastball behind Joseph. Stroman was seen talking towards Baltimore’s dugout after the inning ended. Just an inning prior, Joseph stepped on Jose Reyes’ hand when performing a head-first slide which could of lead to the Stroman pitch.

Orioles’ manager Buck Showalter called the pitch “borderline professionally embarrassing.”


April 12, 2015

Earlier this season, the Jays played a weekend series in Baltimore. Bautista came to the plate in the eighth with two-out and his team up 8-7. O’Day was on the mound and proceeded to throw behind Bautista. During the same at-bat Bautista would get O’Day again and belted a two-run shot over the left-field wall. Bautista proceeded to perform an extended home-run trot and had more to say to the Orioles from the dugout. All O’Day could do this time was smile.


April 21, 2015

The scene shifted back to Toronto for the next chapter in this growing rivalry.  Bautista was at-bat in the seventh inning with his Jays rolling over the Orioles in the opening game of the series. Right-handed rookie Jason Garcia was pitching and threw behind Bautista much-like the incident with O’Day earlier this season. Warnings were issued to both teams. On the next pitch, Bautista hit another two-run shot and admired this one probably more than any home run he’s hit in his career.

He wasn’t done there. The five-time All-Star had something to say to second baseman Ryan Flaherty during his trot and then went after Adam Jones when he was taking his spot in right field the next inning.

"I'm an emotional player and I play with a lot of passion; you throw at me, I'm not going to forget and if I get you right after I'm going to enjoy it and I did," said Bautista after the game. "I've got no regrets about that."

Jones was upset Bautista showed-up the young Garcia, who the Orioles said lost control of the ball rather than intentionally throwing behind his back.

"You can't call out some 22-year-old rookie, a Rule 5 guy, and say he's trying to throw at you," Jones said. "He's nervous and he was in A-ball last year. Their guy (Aaron) Sanchez last year, he hit a few people being nervous. It comes with the territory of being one of the game's best players. That's uncalled for. I'm sure he's going to think about and see the whole scenario and probably be like, "wasn't the best move." But at the end of the day, I think we'll have the last laugh."

The Jays slugger however was uninterested in Jones' position. 

"I could care less what Adam Jones is saying," said Bautista.

"I think it's all pretty well planned out and premeditated and I think (the Orioles) act and hide behind the way their manager acts and conducts himself on the field," said Bautista. "They're going to continue to keep doing that until something comes down from MLB."


May 11-13

The Orioles wins two of three games over the Blue Jays with no incidents. O'Day records a save in the series finale, but doesn't face Bautista.


June 19-21

Orioles once again take two of three from the Blue Jays. Bautista records a single off of O'Day in the second game of the set - a 5-3 Orioles' win. In the third game, O'Day walks Bautista on four balls in the eigth inning.


September 4-6

The two teams meet for their penultimate series of the season. The Jays as the division leader and the Orioles sitting six and a half games back of a playoff spot.