Six players, both managers suspended over Reds-Pirates brawl
Major League Baseball on Thursday announced the fallout from the ugly brawl that took place between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates earlier in the week, and eight suspensions were handed down in total.
Both managers, Cincinnati’s David Bell and Pittsburgh’s Clint Hurdle, have been suspended. Bell got six games for coming back onto the field during the brawl after he had been ejected the inning before, while Hurdle got two games for “his Club’s conduct during the incident.” In addition to the managers, six players — Yasiel Puig, Keone Kela, Amir Garrett, Jose Osuna, Jared Hughes and Kyle Crick — have also been banned for multiple games.
Discipline announced for Reds-Pirates brawl: pic.twitter.com/yEAPhx1gyF
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 1, 2019
Kala got the heftiest suspension, which was 10 games for intentionally throwing at Derek Dietrich in the bottom of the seventh and then instigating when the benches cleared in the eighth. Kala admitted after the game that he went head-hunting. Garrett got eight games, which is no surprise after he sparked the brawl by charging at the Reds dugout and throwing haymakers.
Osuna has been suspended five games for his “aggressive and inappropriate actions” during the melee. Hughes got a three-game suspension for intentionally throwing at Sterling Marte in the ninth inning, and Puig and Crick got three games each for their involvement.
All of the players have already decided to appeal the suspensions, but MLB clearly tried to send a message after the ugliest incident of the season.
