HOUSTON ASTROS- DUSTY BAKER AND HECTOR NERIS SUSPENDED AFTER BENCH-CLEARING BRAWL AGAINST MARINERS.
The brawl was sparked by Hector Neris throwing near the head of Eugenio Suarez.
Houston Astros reliever Hector Neris and manager Dusty Baker have been handed suspensions by MLB following Monday night’s face-off between the Astros and Seattle Mariners that saw a bench-clearing brawl.
Both Astros have been fined an undisclosed amount of money. Baker has been assigned a one-game suspension while Neris was hit with four games.
The Houston Chronicle’s Danielle Lerner reported on Tuesday that MLB gave Neris the four-game suspension “for intentionally throwing at Eugenio Suarez of the Mariners in the area of the head while warnings were in place.”
The suspension-triggering incident gradually escalated in the ninth inning. After Mariners infielder Ty France was hit with an errant pitch by Neris, both benches met in the middle for a heated discussion. Mariners manager Scott Servais and Astros staff member Omar Lopez were booted as a result.
Neris, amid warnings from the ump, threw a pitch behind the head of Suarez. Neris and Baker were then ejected from the game.
Baker’s suspension will be served Tuesday night as Seattle and Houston face off for game 2 of the three-game series.
“I don’t want to talk about it too much more because I’m already kind of pissed off,” Baker said after Monday’s 7-4 loss.
Neris commented after being ejected from the contest: “[Chris Guccione] couldn’t say if it’s on purpose or not [the pitch to Suárez], but he said after a warning he had to do it.” The reliever did not admit to intentionally throwing the wayward pitches.
“I don’t have a comment about that,” Neris said on the potential deliberation. He appealed the suspension on Tuesday and will remain on the active roster as a result.
Astros bench coach Joe Espada will replace Baker for Tuesday’s matchup.
