CINCINNATI — An inside pitch to Indians starter Derek Lowe — and comments he made afterward about Dusty Baker — have the Reds manager riled up.

Cincinnati starter Mat Latos threw an inside fastball to Lowe during the fifth inning of Cincinnati's 5-3 win on Wednesday night. Lowe gestured toward Baker, who shook his finger back at him. Lowe hit Brandon Phillips with a pitch in the bottom of the inning, and both benches were warned.

Lowe suggested after the game that the inside fastball was a payback for a personal issue between him and Baker from a few years ago. Lowe wouldn't talk about the issue.

Lowe said he has "zero respect for the guy," and suggested reporters should ask Baker about the matter.

Baker became angry when addressing Lowe's comments before the final game of the intrastate series on Thursday morning, saying the pitcher had it wrong. He also dropped a hint about the nature of the issue.

"He don't respect himself because the word was that whatever he did and said, there was probably a good chance he was drinking at the ballpark at that time three or four years ago, so he don't remember what he said or what he did, OK?" Baker said with an edge to his voice.

Baker acknowledged having Latos throw inside to Lowe, but said it didn't involve any personal issue between the two of them. Rather, it was retaliation for Lowe hitting Joey Votto in the back during a game in 2009 at Great American Ball Park, when Lowe was with Atlanta. Players from both teams were hit during that series.

"I'm not denying nothing," Baker said. "I didn't order anybody to hit him, but I told him to buzz him and make him uncomfortable. That's what happened. Understand what I'm saying? Nobody hit him. But then he hit our guy.

"And what he was talking about was something that he said and did a few years ago. You've got to ask him what that was. Understand? And he got a lot of people involved in the situation that didn't need to be involved in the situation."

Baker declined to be any more specific about it, leaving that up to Lowe.

"Since he's such a big man, wants to run his mouth, tell him to run his mouth about himself," Baker said.

Lowe said he was aware of Baker's response Thursday, but wasn't going to say anything more.

Notes

• Giants 1B Aubrey Huff sprained his right knee while trying to jump over the dugout railing and join the postgame celebration of Matt Cain's perfect game. An MRI performed Thursday revealed the extent of the damage.

"He's got a pretty good bruise in the right knee," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's going to lose some time, and he was going to have some at-bats in the American League parks. It's a bad break for him and for us."

• The Tigers placed LHP Drew Smyly on the 15-day disabled list with a blister on his left middle finger that manager Jim Leyland said was the worst he had ever seen. Doug Fister (left side strain) will come off the DL to start Saturday's home game against Colorado.

• The Twins put RHP P.J. Walters on the 15-day DL with inflammation in his right shoulder.

• The Rays placed DH Luke Scott on the 15-day DL because of back stiffness.

In other Tampa Bay news, 3B Evan Longoria, who has been on the DL since May 1 with a partially torn left hamstring, will start a rehab assignment with AAA Durham on Saturday.

• The Orioles placed OF Endy Chavez on the 15-day DL with a strained right hamstring.

• Pirates RHP Charlie Morton is out for the season after undergoing elbow surgery. Dr. James Andrews repaired the ulnar collateral ligament in Morton's right arm. Recovery time from the operation, often referred to as Tommy John surgery, is 12-18 months.

• Joe Torre is returning to the dugout next year — to manage the United States at the World Baseball Classic.

"I have been fortunate to have many different experiences throughout my career, but being a part of Team USA will be a first, and I am very excited about it," said Torre, who will turn 72 next month.

The tournament begins with qualifiers this September and November. Torre said he will keep his duties as Major League Baseball's executive vice president for baseball operations during the WBC.