Umpire Jansen Visconti restrains Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman after Tuesday’s game between the Yankees and Rays ended with a verbal altercation between the teams, prompted by a high fastball Chapman threw at the head of Rays pinch hitter Mike Brosseau in the final at-bat of the game. Kathy Willens/Associated Press
NEW YORK — Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman was suspended for three games Wednesday, a day after he threw a fastball near the head of pinch-hitter Mike Brosseau while closing out his first save of the season in a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Chapman said the pitch was not intentional and he is appealing the suspension.
“I think it was a little harsh,” Chapman said through a translator. “That’s the reason I’m going to appeal.”
Chapman, who has previously been disciplined in his career for intentionally throwing at the head area, also was fined by Major League Baseball.
Yankees Manager Aaron Boone received a one-game suspension and was fined an undisclosed amount following the events during Tuesday night’s game.
“I don’t think I should be sitting out tonight, nor Chappy, but I do respect the process and the thoroughness and the care that they gave to kind of walk it through this,” Boone said. “I accept it, but I certainly don’t agree with it.”
Rays Manager Kevin Cash received a one-game suspension and was fined an undisclosed amount after being ejected during the game and for his comments afterward. Umpires convened before issuing warnings to both benches, and Cash was ejected after coming onto the field to argue.
Cash said following the game that someone has to be accountable, adding, “And the last thing I’ll say on this is I got a whole damn stable full of guys that throw 98 mph. Period.”
“It’s fair, warranted,” Cash said of the suspension.
PIRATES: The team announced that all players and coaches will wear Roberto Clemente’s No. 21 when the Pirates host the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 9. It’s a move Clemente’s family and the organization hope is a step toward having Major League Baseball retire his number, as it did with Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 in 1997, a half-century after Robinson broke MLB’s color barrier.
“I feel that this is just the beginning,” said Luis Clemente, the second of Clemente’s three sons. “That’s why it’s so important. It’s so exciting that it happened, that it was approved. It is a platform to continue to grow on it. So we’re very happy and thankful to MLB also for this.”
Clemente collected 3,000 hits during his 18-year career while helping the Pirates win a pair of World Series titles. He died in a plane crash on Dec. 31, 1972, at age 38 while attempting to bring humanitarian aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The team retired Clemente’s number before the start of the 1973 season.
The importance of slipping a No. 21 jersey over his shoulders isn’t lost on Pirates third base coach Joey Cora, a Puerto Rico native and former major leaguer.
“I’m getting goosebumps right now,” Cora said. “Wearing No. 21, as a Puerto Rican, as a Pirate, it means a lot. It’s a responsibility on that one, but hopefully I can wear it and make him proud with the fact that I’m wearing it and that we all are. As a Puerto Rican, it’s a little bit more special, obviously. To honor Roberto Clemente, not only the player but the person, it’s a huge, huge honor.”
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
RAYS 5, YANKEES 2: Mike Brosseau got some revenge against the Yankees, hitting two home runs as Tampa Bay won in New York.
A night after Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman threw a 101 mph fastball over his head, Brosseau posted his second career multi-homer game, and the AL East leaders ended the season series with an 8-2 edge.
There was no retaliation by the Rays a night after Cash seemed to threaten the Yankees in the wake of Chapman’s pitch by saying: “And the last thing I’ll say on this is I got a whole damn stable full of guys that throw 98 mph. Period.”
The only hit batter was Tampa Bay’s Hunter Renfroe in the fifth inning. He was plunked in the leg by Yankees reliever Ben Heller, who was ejected by first base umpire Chad Fairchild.
BLUE JAYS 2, MARLINS 1: Lourdes Gurriel homered and Hyun Jin Ryu pitched six solid innings to lead Toronto to a win at Miami.
BREWERS 8, TIGERS 5: Keston Hiura and Jace Peterson homered as visiting Milwaukee snapped Detroit’s six-game winning streak.
METS 9, ORIOLES 4: Michael Conforto went 4 for 5 with a homer and five RBI, Pete Alonso hit a lengthy solo shot and visiting New York ended a five-game losing streak.
INDIANS 5, ROYALS 0: Triston McKenzie tossed six innings of three-hit ball to celebrate his 23rd birthday, Tyler Naquin hit a pair of homers for the only runs of the game, and Cleveland Indians won at Kansas City.
PHILLIES 3, NATIONALS 0: Zack Wheeler tossed three-hit ball over 6 2/3 innings to outpitch Max Scherzer, and Jay Bruce hit a solo homer as Philadelphia won at home.
REDS 4, CARDINALS 3: Joey Votto’s single in the bottom of the ninth inning drove in Shogo Akiyama, giving Cincinnati a win over St. Louis.
ROCKIES 9, GIANTS 6: Garrett Hampson and Sam Hilliard homered and newcomer Kevin Pillar delivered a key triple as Colorado rallied to beat visiting San Francisco.
CUBS 8, PIRATES 2: Javier Baez hit a three-run home run and Kyle Hendricks pitched one-run ball over six innings to lead Chicago to a win at Pittsburgh.
ASTROS 2, RANGERS 1: Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer early to back up a strong start from rookie Cristian Javier, and Houston held off visiting Texas.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
