Basebrawl: Arenado charges mound, Rockies beat Padres 6-4
DENVER (AP) — Rockies star Nolan Arenado charged the mound after a fastball from Luis Perdomo sailed behind him, setting off a heated brawl that resulted in five ejections during a testy game in which Colorado beat the San Diego Padres 6-4 on Wednesday.
Pedromo flung his glove at the rushing Arenado and missed.
The big-hitting Arenado then threw a couple of huge punches at the backpedaling Perdomo, but didn't land anything squarely.
Arenado's reaction in the third woke up the slumbering Colorado bats, with the Rockies scoring five times in the inning to take a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
The tension between these two NL West teams started boiling a night earlier at Coors Field when Padres outfielder Manuel Margot got hit in the ribs by a pitch, putting him on the disabled list.
The problems festered early on in the series finale, with Colorado's Trevor Story being plunked in the first and San Diego's Hunter Renfroe in the second.
That set the stage for Arenado, who didn't take kindly to a pitch that nearly grazed his back.
He immediately stormed after Perdomo, who threw his glove in self-defense.
Arenado kept trying to punch the pitcher as the benches cleared and the relievers sprinted in from the bullpen.
An incensed Arenado began screaming at Padres catcher A.J. Ellis, leading to San Diego bench coach Mark McGwire holding the AllStar third baseman back.
Rockies starter German Marquez got involved by throwing a towel and Colorado outfielder Gerardo Parra looked as if he threw a punch.
Once order was finally restored, the umpires met for several minutes before ejecting Perdomo, Ellis, Arenado, Marquez and Parra.
Colorado erupted soon after the melee, sending nine hitters to the plate with most of the damage off reliever Buddy Baumann (0-1) when he took over for Perdomo.
The big play was Tony Wolters' bases-loaded, two-run single that center fielder Franchy Cordero misplayed to allow another run to score.
Cordero atoned with a solo homer as part of San Diego's three-run the sixth.
Eric Hosmer hit his first homer as a member of the Padres in the eighth.
Antonio Senzatela (1-1) struggled over three innings while filling in for Marquez.
Wade Davis pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save as the Rockies finished the homestand at 2-4.
BRAVES 5, NATIONALS 3, 12 INNINGS
WASHINGTON (AP)
— Peter Bourjos drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the 12th inning off Ryan Madson (0-1).
Braves starter Brandon McCarthy left after five innings with what Atlanta said was a subluxation of his non-throwing shoulder, which usually refers to a partial dislocation. He spent more than a month on the disabled list last season after dislocating his left shoulder with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Rookie Shane Carle (2-1) gave up Howie Kendrick's tying double in the 11th.
TWINS 9, ASTROS 8
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Max Kepler hit his second home run of the game, connecting for a solo drive with two outs in the bottom off Brad Peacock (1-1) as Minnesota rebounded after wasting an 8-1 lead.
Lance McCullers Jr. allowed a career-high eight runs in 3 2/3 innings for the Astros. He gave up seven hits, tied a career high with six walks and struck out six.
Houston's Alex Bregman had a careerhigh four hits, including his first homer of the season.
Down 8-6, the Astros loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against Fernando Rodney (1-1). George Springer grounded into an RBI forceout, and the tying run scored when Dozier threw wide to first trying for a double play.
BREWERS 3, CARDINALS 2
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Albers got his first save for Milwaukee, retiring Kolten Wong and Dexter Fowler to strand a pair of runners, and the Brewers beat the Cardinals.
Milwaukee had a tworun lead when Tommy Pham led off the bottom of the ninth with a drive against Josh Hader that hit a railing above the fence in left-center. The play originally was ruled a double but the call was overturned on a video review.
Albers relieved and allowed singles to Marcell Ozuna and Jose Martinez, then retired Wong on a foulout and struck out Fowler, who was pinch hitting, for his third big league save. He got his first two for Washington last year.
Junior Guerra (1-0) allowed one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings in his first start this season.
Adam Wainwright (0-2), making his second start after a stint on the disabled list caused by a strained left hamstring, allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings.
St. Louis has lost three of four series this season. The Cardinals' starting lineup was missing Fowler, Paul DeJong and Yadier Molina, who served a one-game suspension stemming from an altercation with Arizona manager last weekend.
Milwaukee built a 3-0 lead on home runs by Hernaz Perez in the second and Eric Thames in the third followed by Jonathan Villar's RBI groundout in the fifth.
Thames' fifth home run of the season went just over the glove of right fielder Harrison Bader, who jumped at the 9-foot fence and looked at his glove in disbelief after he failed to snag the ball.
Matt Carpenter hit a run-scoring groundout in the sixth. He failed to reach base in a game for the first time this season.
WHITE SOX 2, RAYS 1
CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Davidson hit a two-run homer off Austin Pruitt (1-2) in the eighth inning and Chicago improved to 1-5 at home, matching its worst home start since 1975 at Comiskey Park.
Bruce Rondon (1-0) retired the side in the eighth, and Nate Jones finished for his first save.
MARINERS 4, ROYALS 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kyle Seager hit a go-ahead homer with two outs in the eighth off Justin Grimm (0-1).
James Paxton matched a career-best with 10 strikeouts over six sharp innings before turning it over to his bullpen. Nick Vincent (1-0) worked a perfect seventh, and Edwin Diaz got three outs for his fourth save.
DIAMONDBACKS 7, GIANTS 3
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt and John Ryan Murphy hit home runs and the Diamondbacks beat the Giants, taking two of three at AT&T Park.
Goldschmidt's second home run in as many days spoiled the major league debut of Andrew Suarez (0-1). The 25-year-old lefthander had retired the first 10 batters in order until Ketel Marte singled with one out in the fourth. Goldschmidt followed with his home run.
Suarez gave up four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings in which he struck out seven and allowed no walks. Suarez left to a standing ovation.
The Giants for the second time in team history in San Francisco (since 1958) had starting pitchers make major league debuts on consecutive days. Tyler Beede made his first start in the majors on Tuesday.
Fernando Salas (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning in relief of starter Robbie Ray.