Advertisement

Pirates, Reds discuss hit-by-pitches, dugout-clearing scrum

Bill Brink 8 years ago

CINCINNATI -- In case you missed it, here is Sunday’s benches-clearing issue (wouldn’t call it a brawl), or as Reds manager Bryan Price, put it, “More rugby than cage fighting.”

Quick recap: Joe Blanton hit Marlon Byrd high, up near his head, last night. 

“The line is whenever you go above somebody's shoulder -- that's where it is, that's the line,” Byrd said today.

Today, Pedro Villarreal hit Andrew McCutchen in the upper back.

“I was a bit surprised that they would want to retaliate,” McCutchen said. “You should do that early in the game and get it over with.”

Tony Watson then hit Brandon Phillips. 

“I just pound fastballs in, you guys have seen that for the last four years,” Watson said. “Got away. I don’t need to sit here and explain. It’s just one of those things.”

Benches clear at this point. They get heated, then relax, three different times, but nobody really does anything. Involved: Byrd, Todd Frazier, Skip Schumaker, Sean Rodriguez, Joey Votto. Votto, Rodriguez and Byrd were tossed.

In the ninth, with a man on and a three-run lead, Mark Melancon hit Tucker Barnhart. This one, it would seem was unintentional -- brought the tying run to the plate -- but because the benches were warned, Melancon was ejected.

“Knowing the situation, guy’s already on base, tying run comes up to the plate if you hit him ... I feel like the feel for the game is necessary there,” Melancon said.