Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos had some very harsh comments after Tampa Bay Rays reliever Edwin Uceta hit him with a pitch late in a 9-4 Phillies win.
Uceta allowed a home run, two doubles and a single during an ugly eighth inning. Castellanos stepped up immediately after the second double and was drilled by a 96 MPH fastball. Castellanos was furious, and the benches cleared.
Phillies and Rays Benches Clear.
Of course it's Castellanos during the debate. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ccNLK2R80v
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 11, 2024
After the game, Castellanos had some very brutal quotes about Uceta. The Phillies outfielder said he had an “overwhelming sense that I was about to get drilled” when he stepped to the plate, and even compared the Rays pitcher to his two-year-old.
Phillies RF Nick Castellanos shares his thoughts on getting hit by a pitch from Edwin Uceta @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/lKofBBkkyH
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) September 11, 2024
“I know that he had relatively pretty good numbers going into that. Just watching him, I could see him getting frustrated, and I was digging in, I’m like, ‘I’m going to take this pitch right here to see if he’s around the plate.’ And it wasn’t anywhere near the plate.
“You’re throwing a baseball over 90 miles an hour, and you’re frustrated, and you’re going to throw at somebody. It’s like my two-year-old throwing a fit because I take away his dessert before he’s finished.”
For what it’s worth, Uceta denied after the game that he threw at Castellanos intentionally. He undermined his own defense by claiming he had tried to throw a changeup, which was not remotely the case.
#Rays Uceta said he didn’t hit #Phillies Castellanos on purpose. He also said he hit him with a changeup but game data shows it as a 96.2 mph sinker.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) September 11, 2024
Reckles pitching has been a talking point among some players lately, but this appears to have been a clear case of intent on Uceta’s part. He has walked just six batters all year, and Castellanos was the first one he has hit. For it to come on a harder-than-average fastball while Uceta was being hit around only makes it more suspicious. Umpires agreed, and Uceta was ejected from the game.
