Major League Baseball has doled out its punishments for Friday’s benches-clearing incident between the Mets and Phillies.
Phillies reliever Josè Alvarado has been suspended three games while Mets first baseman Dom Smith and reliever Miguel Castro have each been fined an undisclosed amount for their role in the incident.
Alvarado is appealing his suspension.
Things escalated between the Mets and Phillies on Friday night when Alvarado struck out Smith to end the eighth inning with the go-ahead run on first base. The Phillies left-hander celebrated and was pointing toward Smith and jawing at him as he walked off the mound.
Smith fired back at Alvarado, prompting the reliever to drop his gloves as if he was going to fight. Both benches cleared and held back the players from further escalation. Alvarado was ejected from the game.
The Mets first baseman was still visibly upset after the game, telling reporters he doesn’t have an issue with celebrating on the field but took issue with Alvarado pointing at him.
“But him pointing at me, coming after me, stuff like that — I’m a grown-ass man. Come meet me then if you really got a problem, and we can really handle it,” Smith said. “That’s how I look at the issue. He waited for his team to grab him and stuff. But I’m right there. He can meet me in the tunnel tomorrow if he really wants to get after it.”
The Mets had taken issue with Alvarado earlier this season when he hit Michael Conforto in a game a couple weeks ago, in which Smith was jawing at him from the dugout.
Mets manager Luis Rojas said Alvarado was “instigating” on Friday night.
“He was trying to get his attention, trying to start things,” Rojas said. “That’s what got Dom turning back and walking toward him.”
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