There was no need for any additional drama in a pivotal Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, but the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers provided it anyways. A bench-clearing brawl ensued in the bottom of the eighth inning of what finished as an absolute classic.

Astros righty Bryan Abreu hit Rangers slugger Adolis Garcia with a 99 mph fastball in the back of his elbow, which started the scuffle. Abreu was ejected for what the umpires considered to be an intentional hit-by-pitch, causing manager Dusty Baker to go ballistic. Garcia blasted a momentum-changing three-run home run in the sixth to give Texas a 4-2 lead at the time. He sauntered to first base, basking in the electric moment. Retaliation has been known to occur in similar situations.

Baker, however, felt it was foolish to accuse his pitcher of seeking revenge with a runner on first and no outs, and with the stakes being so high. In other words, the time to humble the All-Star outfielder would be next year, not in the ALCS. The skipper and Garcia joined Abreu in being tossed. The Rangers had a runner on third with one out but failed to capitalize versus Ryan Pressly. Fans did their best to process all the bedlam.

“This whole Astros Rangers brawl was wild,” Seattle Mariners ON Tap posted on X/Twitter. “But also fun to watch. Playoff baseball. Division rivals.” Although a rivalry was already blooming between these two clubs in 2023, this encounter could catapult it to new, explosive levels going forward. The fireworks did not end there, though, as Jose Altuve added to his remarkable postseason with a three-run bomb of his own in the ninth inning to put the reigning World Series champions back on top.

The Rangers threatened, but the 5-4 score held, with the Astros heading back to Minute Maid Park with an improbable 3-2 lead in the ALCS. It was objectively one of the best MLB games in recent memory. All of the tension from the brawl should only fuel these AL West foes going into Sunday's must-see Game 6.