Blue Jays’ Joe Bautista Voices ALCS Conspiracy Theories, Indians Fire Back

The Toronto Blue Jays have struggled with hitting thus far in the American League Championship Series, and slugger Jose Bautista believes there are nefarious external forces responsible for his team’s lackluster performance.

Blue Jays’ Joe Bautista Voices ALCS Conspiracy Theories

The Cleveland Indians, who currently lead the Series 2-0 after defeating the Blue Jays 2-0 on Friday and 2-1 on Saturday, responded to Bautista’s absurd conspiracy theory claims on Twitter ahead of Game 3, which is set for Monday night in Toronto.

“All you gotta do is look at video and count how many times [Indians pitchers have] thrown pitches over the heart of the plate. It hasn’t been many,” Bautista told reporters Sunday. “They’ve been able to do that because of the circumstances — that I’m not trying to talk about because I can’t. That’s for you guys to do but you guys don’t really want to talk about that either.”

USA Today reporter Mike Vorkunov tweeted Bautista’s full quote:

Previously, the Dominican right fielder, who turns 36 on Wednesday, said: “Sometimes the elements and the circumstances that we have to deal with as hitters don’t go our way. I’m not really trying into that.”

The Indians responded to Vorkunov’s tweet with a photograph montage featuring relievers Andrew Miller and Cody Allen and starters Corey Kluber and Josh Tomlin, accompanied by the word “circumstances” in quotation marks.

Kluber started ALCS Game 1 for Cleveland, Tomlin started Game 2, and Miller and Allen appeared in relief in both games.

On Monday, the Indians continued trolling Bautista and the Blue Jays by creating a poll on Twitter, asking Indians fans what they believe the Blue Jays will use as their next excuse for losing and/or playing terribly.

Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion have complained about the umpiring during the first two games of the series, in which Toronto has gone 10-for-63 with no homers. Both deflected questions about the umpires in postgame interviews, declining to go into full detail.

TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 9: Jose Bautista #19 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits into a double play for the final two outs of the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers during game three of the American League Division Series at Rogers Centre on October 9, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)