Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch was upset following Tuesday's 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels over what he described as a "free shot" at outfielder Jake Marisnick. 

With nobody out in the sixth inning, Angels righty Noe Ramirez drilled Marisnick in the upper left shoulder with a fastball but was not ejected from the game. The benches later cleared after players in the Houston dugout were seen jawing with Angels first baseman Albert Pujols, though things never escalated to anything serious. 

Hinch expressed confusion over what he labelled as a "gray area" in dealing with situations like these.

"Sometimes you can retaliate, like tonight,'' Hinch said. "They're going to get away with it, unless he gets suspended. Sometimes you can't, and you get thrown out of the game for backup sliders that hit guys. It's a confusing time. Either the players govern the players on the field like it's always been or we legislate it to where none of this crap happens. They got a free shot at him with no warning, with no ejection.

"We'll see if there's discipline; and without discipline, there's not going to be any issue doing it the next time. So if retaliations are in, cool. We're well aware," he said. 

Ramirez said after the game he was not trying to hit Marisnick with the 1-1 pitch. 

"It's not what I want,'' said Marisnick, who was booed heavily at Angels Stadium Tuesday night. "It was an unfortunate play back in Houston. I feel terrible about it. To come here and have something like this go down, it [stinks]."

That play in question came before the All-Star break when Marisnick collided violently with Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy at home plate that left him with a broken nose and a concussion. He was suspended two games by Major League Baseball for the incident. 

"I've seen a lot of takes on it, and obviously everybody has their own opinion," Marisnick said just before the Astors played their final game before the break. "But I know deep down in my heart that I had no intent to hurt, or make contact, with him."

The division rivals will be back in action Wednesday night in Anaheim.