Astros’ Abreu suspended 2 games by MLB, which says he intentionally threw at García
THOMAS (AP) — Major League Baseball stated on Saturday that Bryan Abreu, a pitcher for the Houston Astros, deliberately threw at Texas Rangers’ Adolis García during Game 5 of the AL Championship Series, earning him a two-game suspension and a fine.
Unless he files an appeal, Abreu’s ban would begin with Sunday’s Game 6. His pitch caused a bench-clearing riot, which lasted for twelve minutes until play was restarted.
Michael Hill, executive vice president of MLB, made the announcement on the punishment. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s special assistant John McHale Jr. would hear an appeal.
García and Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. were fined along with Texas pitcher Matt Bush. McCullers and Bush are being prohibited for sitting on their team benches for the rest of the series.
Baker was asked Saturday about his thought process in sitting back down in the dugout after being ejected.
“My thought process is I wasn’t ready to go because it shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” he said. “That was my thought process.”
He was then asked what the umpires said when they approached him in the dugout when he wouldn’t leave.
“Well, they didn’t say much,” he said. “They kind of just turned around and said: ‘He’s not leaving.’ Then they turned around and said they can’t start until I leave.”
Baker was asked about the incident.
“It happens,” he said. “And you don’t script it. It’s a spontaneous, combustible reaction that gets out of control. And most of us want to be under control. Most of us want to play ball. Most don’t want to box.”
Texas manager Bruce Bochy was asked if he thinks there will be carryover from the scuffle into Game 6.