slide was controversial and catalyzed the "payback pitch" the following game. During a pitching change in that inning, Rays manager Joe Maddon and Crisp argued, with Crisp in the dugout and Maddon on the pitching mound. After the game, Crisp said that he thought Bartlett would cover the bag, instead he (Bartlett) chose to tell Iwamura to take the throw in the eighth inning. Crisp described Bartlett's knee in front of the bag as a "Dirty" play. During the next game, with Crisp at bat in the bottom of the second inning, and the Sox up 3–1, Rays starter James Shields hit him on the thigh on the second pitch. Crisp charged the mound and first dodged a punch from Shields, and then threw a glancing punch at Shields, which set off a bench-clearing brawl. Crisp, Jonny Gomes, and Shields were ejected from the game. Major League Baseball suspended Crisp for seven games due to his actions in the brawl. Upon appeal, the suspension was reduced to five games, which he had served as of June 28, 2008. In Game 5 of the ALCS, Crisp had a game-tying hit in the bottom of the eighth inning to cap Boston's seven-run comeback. Boston would go on to win the game 8–7 with a walk-off single in the ninth inning by J. D. Drew, but eventually lost the series in seven games. Kansas City Royals On November 19, 2008, Crisp was traded to the Kansas City Royals for relief pitcher Ramón Ramírez. During his lone season with the Royals, Crisp started off hot, hitting well over .300 before his batting average fell to a career low .228 due to shoulder injuries. On June 23, 2009, Royals manager Trey Hillman announced that Crisp would receive season ending surgeries to repair a labrum tear in both shoulders. Oakland Athletics After the 2009 season, Crisp signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Athletics worth $5 million, with a club option for 2011. Crisp began the 2010 season on the 15-day DL with a fractured left pinkie finger. Crisp entered the 2011 season exercising his one-year option with the Oakland Athletics. On August 24, Crisp homered from both sides of the plate against the New York Yankees. In that game, he hit a game-winning three-run home run in the top of the 10th inning on the first pitch he saw against reliever Rafael Soriano. He finished