Four suspended for roles in Brewers-Rays brawl
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
Three Milwaukee Brewers, including manager Pat Murphy, along with Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jose Siri, received suspensions for their roles that led to a bench-clearing incident between the two teams in the eighth inning of their game on Tuesday night.
Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta received a five-game suspension for intentionally throwing at Siri during the top of the sixth inning of the Brewers’ 8-2 victory while reliever Abner Uribe received six games after he and Siri squared off against each other two innings later.
Siri received a three-game suspension while Murphy will miss two games as a result of Peralta’s actions in addition to his inappropriate conduct toward umpires.
All four were also fined.
Peralta and Murphy were ejected after the right-hander hit Siri on a 3-0 pitch in the sixth. But tempers didn’t flare up until the eighth when Siri and Uribe had words as they crossed paths after the Rays outfielder grounded out to first base. Punches were thrown as both benches cleared before order was restored shortly thereafter.
The animosity between Siri and the Brewers had been building since he took a long look at his solo home run off Peralta in the third inning.
Milwaukee said Uribe and Peralta planned to appeal. If a player appeals to MLB special assistant John McHale Jr., discipline remains pending until the appeal is resolved.
Under the rules, managers are not allowed to appeal. Murphy will begin serving his suspension on Wednesday.
It wasn’t immediately known if Siri plans to appeal.
Before Wednesday’s game, Siri revealed a bruise on his left leg that formed after getting hit by the 3-0 fastball from Peralta. He wasn’t in the Rays’ starting lineup Wednesday but said he planned on getting treatment and would be available later in the game.
“He was the one who threw first. I don’t think I did anything bad,” Siri said through an interpreter before the suspensions were announced.
Siri said he remained unsure why Uribe took a swing at him.
“When I was in the on-deck circle and he was warming up I felt like he kept looking over at me and staring at me, so I just had that feeling,” Siri said. “Obviously, when I went to first base, I confirmed that he had a problem with me.”
Siri stressed on Wednesday he has no dispute with Peralta.
“I never really had a problem with Peralta. Never have,” he said. “He hit me, and I just went to first base.”
Siri said celebrations by pitchers and batters alike are part of the game but insisted that he wasn’t trying to show up Peralta.
“I don’t think I did anything wrong. I stood there. I didn’t look at it. I put my head down and just ran,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.