Semien, Maldonado ejected during heated Rangers-Astros game

It was a heated night in the Lone Star State.

Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien and Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado were both ejected in the fifth inning of Wednesday's game.

Tempers flared after Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia crushed a 448-foot grand slam to extend Texas' lead to 13-3.

“After I scored on Adolis' grand slam, I told (Maldonado), 'I told you we were going to win this game' and all of sudden, their bench is out there and both of us are out of the game," Semien said, according to The Associated Press. "I didn't want to get thrown out of the game. I just was talking to him."

Semien had a busy night before the ejection. He was hit by a Framber Valdez pitch in the top of the third inning before connecting on a two-run homer in his next at-bat off Valdez. He appeared to glare at Valdez as he rounded the bases and flashed a gesture at Maldonado to be quiet as he touched home plate.

"When you jaw at a guy, you expect to get something in return," Astros manager Dusty Baker said of the eventful evening, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome. "Maldy wasn't going to go away like he was some little punk."

Semien said it all went back to his being hit by a pitch in what he thought was an intentional manner.

"I got hit with a four-seam fastball from a sinkerballer," he said, via the AP. "I felt like it was on purpose. I walked to first base. I ended up scoring on the home run, and I told Martín, 'We’re going to win this game.' We proceeded to score 11 runs after that. I said 'I told you,' and I ended up out of the game.”

The Rangers won 13-5 to avoid a three-game sweep and extend their lead on the Astros in the AL West to two games.

Texas has had an uneven July with an 11-10 record, while the Astros have enjoyed a 13-8 mark so far this month.