Garrett leads charge in wild brawl
Ex-findlay Prep athlete challenges Pirates in dust-up
CINCINNATI — Jared Hughes’ errant pitch threw a load of fuel on one of the majors’ most flammable rivalries.
Call it Pirates vs. Reds, Round 2 — and a fitting farewell for Yasiel Puig.
Hughes hit Starling Marte with his first pitch in the ninth inning Tuesday night, setting the stage for the latest dust-up between the Ohio River rivals. Four Pirates and four Reds were ejected in Pittsburgh’s 11-4 win, including Puig, who was in the process of being traded.
“The ball just slipped and it was real unfortunate and a lot of bad things happened afterward,” Hughes said. And it’s not over.
Reds manager David Bell faces a suspension for coming back onto the field and going after Pirates manager Clint Hurdle during the fracas. Bell had already been ejected for arguing a strike call an inning earlier.
And there was Puig, who’s headed to Cleveland as part of a three-team deal for starter Trevor Bauer, a person familiar with the negotiations told
The Associated Press.
Puig prolonged the fight that started when Reds reliever Amir Garrett, a Findlay Prep product, went toward the Pirates dugout and threw several punches.
Puig’s summary of the inning: “That’s crazy.”
The National League Central rivals have been going at each other for years. The nastiness resumed this season when Derek Dietrich admired his homer at PNC Park in April, touching off a fracas.
On Tuesday, Dietrich got into the lopsided game late, and Keona Kela threw a fastball up and in that set off the Reds.
“I just wanted to show them that we didn’t agree with the way things went down, and you have to pitch in,” Kela said. “I was just doing my part.”
Between innings, Joey Votto exchanged words with Kela.
“Today was an example of us standing our ground for what we think is right,” Votto said. “At some point, a group of players has to do that.”
Both benches had been warned when Hughes plunked Marte, so the reliever and Reds bench coach Freddie Benavides were ejected. Garrett relieved and, during the inning, traded words with Pirates starter Trevor Williams, who was in the dugout.
Garrett ran from the mound toward the dugout and started swinging as players came onto the field. Garrett was upset over the up-and-in pitch to Dietrich.
“I definitely do think they teach that in that organization,” said Garrett, who also attended Sierra Vista High. “I don’t think it’s right to throw at somebody. That’s not something you should do. If you have a problem, handle it like a man.”
When the fight began, a livid Bell ran back onto the field and went after Hurdle, who got knocked to the ground in the scrum. Pirates hitting coach Rick Eckstein got Bell in a headlock. Bell yelled at Hurdle as he left the field.
“It’s a shame that this is allowed and that they’re able to get away with it,” Bell said of the up-and-in pitch. “They celebrate it, they support it, they clearly allow it. I don’t know if they teach it, but they allow it. It’s dangerous.”
Four Pirates were ejected: Williams, Chris Archer, Kyle Crick and Francisco Cervelli, who is on the injured list.
“No one likes getting shown up,” Williams said. “Alphas don’t like it. You hope it’s done. You hope it’s over. Hopefully, it won’t escalate. Today was pretty bad for us, pretty bad for baseball, pretty bad for everybody.”
As for the game, Pittsburgh ended a nine-game losing streak behind trade candidate Corey Dickerson, who had another big game at Great American Ball Park. He drove in a career-high five runs with a pair of homers and a single.