Felix Hernandez congratulated good pal Adrian Beltre on his 3,000th hit with a home-plate hug
In almost every instance, seeing a pitcher walk toward home plate and approach the opposing hitter spells trouble -- and usually some dramatic extracurricular activities.
Sometimes, however, this scenario plays out in the manner it did in Monday's Mariners-Rangers game, thanks to the amusing and unbreakable (but still competitive) friendship of two of MLB's closest frenemies,
With Beltre basking in the glow of collecting his 3,000th career hit on Sunday, King Felix couldn't help but congratulate him before doing battle in the first inning of the Mariners' eventual 6-4 win:
And, naturally, Beltre then stepped into the box and singled.
Because that's just what he does. Slaps base hits all the time ... even after sharing a moment with a dear friend.
"That was definitely on my mind," said Hernandez to MLB.com's Greg Johns after the game regarding his gesture. "The first thing that came to my mind was just go to home plate and congratulate him. What he did last night was unbelievable."
