I get your personal policy to give the benefit of the doubt but I don't think there's a question it was intentional based on the history during that series
The teams' three-game series was chippy from the moment Lawrie slid late and hard into Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar on a force play in Friday's opener. Escobar sat out the last two games with a leg injury.
Saturday, Ventura hit Lawrie with a pitch, one batter after Oakland's Josh Reddick homered. Sunday, five Royals coaches and players were ejected, including Herrera after his 100-mph fastball whizzed by Lawrie.
After that game, Lawrie, who took his Saturday hit-by-pitch in stride, expressed his anger at Herrera's tactics.
"That was embarrassing," he said. "I'm trying to play baseball. I can't step into the box thinking they're going to throw at my head."
As Herrera was walking off the field, he pointed to his head.