Dodgers brawl with Diamondbacks results in ejections, LA win

Dodgers brawl: For the second time this season, LA starting pitcher Zach Greinke found himself in the midst of a Dodgers brawl, this time with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

By Beth Harris,?Associated Press / June 12, 2013

Dodgers brawl: A scuffle breaks out after Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke was hit by a pitch during the seventh inning of their baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, June 11, 2013, in Los Angeles.

Mark J. Terrill/AP

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The Dodgers took it personally when Arizona's Ian Kennedy hit their star rookie Yasiel Puig in the face with a pitch. Then they really got mad when Kennedy hit starter Zack Greinke with another high pitch.

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Punches replaced pitches at that point as a heated brawl involving players and coaches ensued, resulting in six ejections before the Dodgers rallied to beat the Diamondbacks 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Kennedy, Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson and coach Turner Ward, along with Puig, reliever Ronald Belisario and Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire were ejected in the seventh inning after the prolonged scuffle against a railing that nearly spilled into the stands.

"There were four of us and what, 60 of them?" crew chief Brian Gorman told a pool reporter after the game.

In the top of the seventh, Greinke hit Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero in the back ? drawing a warning from the umpire ? and both teams came charging onto the field, but the scrum broke up quickly with no punches thrown.

"Puig gets hit in the face, Montero gets hit, it should have been really over at this point," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.

Greinke hitting Montero was payback for Kennedy hitting Puig in bottom of the sixth ? the ball deflected off Puig's shoulder and grazed his nose. It wasn't broken and he didn't sustain a concussion, the team said. Puig didn't appear at his locker after the game to talk with reporters.

"If you can't pitch inside without hitting someone in the head, you shouldn't pitch inside," Mattingly said.

Kennedy said he was just trying to pitch inside to Puig, who came into the game batting .500.

"I thought I got him on the shoulder, but by his reaction, I figure I got him somewhere in the face," he said. "I definitely did not want to hit a guy with two strikes and put somebody like him on base."

Kennedy then hit Greinke in the upper left shoulder ? the ball deflected off his helmet ? with one out in the seventh and the game tied 2-all. It was the 41st batter Kennedy has hit since the start of 2010.

"I honestly had no idea that it was that high until I saw the replay," Kennedy said.

Mattingly believed otherwise, using an expletive to express his disagreement.

After the game, Greinke said he didn't want to discuss the brawl.

"That's when it kind of got out of hand," Tim Federowicz said about Greinke getting hit. "You can't do that."

Kennedy immediately was tossed and calmly walked toward the Diamondbacks dugout before players poured onto the field and relievers ran in from the bullpens.

"Everything happened so fast," Mattingly said. "It just gets a little crazy out there."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Etm8bjKSxik/Dodgers-brawl-with-Diamondbacks-results-in-ejections-LA-win

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