Arenado, Perdomo get 5-game bans

NEW YORK — Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado was suspended Friday for five games for charging the mound after Luis Perdomo threw a pitch behind his back, inciting a benches-clearing brawl during Wednesday’s game against the Padres.

Major League Baseball also banned Perdomo for five games for intentionally throwing at the All-Star third baseman.

“Five games is a lot of games,” Arenado said Friday. “I just defended myself.”

Rockies outfielder Gerardo Parra was suspended four games for fighting.

“As of now, I think both are appealing,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “That could change.”

Arenado and Parra were in the Rockies’ lineup Friday night against the Nationals.

Padres pitcher Buddy Bauman got a one-game suspension for fighting. The suspended players were also fined.

Padres catcher A.J. Ellis and infielder Freddy Galvis and Rockies right-hander German Marquez were fined but not suspended.

Arenado swung wildly at Perdomo after he reached the mound, but none of his punches landed squarely.

“It’s hard not to react a certain way when you know someone’s trying to do something on purpose,” Arenado said. “It is what it is.

“Obviously, five games — you don’t want to fight. That’s not why we’re playing this game. But 96 (mph) at you on purpose, you get frustrated.”

The brawl came during a tense series that included three batters being hit by pitches before the benches-clearing incident. The Padres’ Manuel Margot was hit first and ended up on the disabled list.