The West Michigan Whitecaps defeated the Dayton Dragons by a score of 2-1 in 10 innings on Sunday night, but that was hardly the headline which dominated the Single-A game.
After Dayton’s Jose Siri stole second base in the bottom of the sixth inning, West Michigan shortstop Anthony Pereira appeared to step on his leg. Whether it was intentional or incidental is open to interpretation, although it did appear deliberate.
Siri took exception to the stomp and promptly jumped to his feet and shoved Pereira, leading to the benches clearing.
Both Pereira and Siri were immediately ejected, but the umpires were unable to gain control. Before long, the scrum went from a typical baseball fight to a legitimate brawl with some very dangerous antics.
While several punches were being thrown, West Michigan pitcher Eduardo Jimenez sprinted onto the field with baseballs in hand and fired one into a crowd of Dragons players, hitting Dayton pitcher Jesse Stallings squarely in the side.
It’s unclear if Jimenez, who was not in the game at the time, was ejected, but given what was caught on film, you can guarantee he’ll be subject to a hefty fine if not suspended outright.
The Dayton Dragons are a minor league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and the West Michigan Whitecaps are a minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.
