In the bottom of the eighth inning on Wednesday as the Mets played the Cardinals, after J.D. Davis became the latest Met to be hit by a pitch (which knocked him out of the game and left him in a walking boot), things finally boiled over.
Following an up-and-in pitch from Yoan Lopez to Nolan Arenado, Arenado — who would not have been hit even if he hadn’t moved — lost his cool, screaming and gesturing out to Lopez, shoving catcher Tomas Nido, and inciting a benches-clearing brawl.
In the middle of the on-field fracas was Pete Alonso, who had been drilled in the head on Tuesday night for the second time this season. After that hit-by-pitch by Cardinals reliever Kodi Whitley, Alonso was briefly enraged before trotting to first base.
Things were different on Wednesday afternoon.
As things escalated with the Mets and Cardinals converging near home plate, Alonso was surrounded by a group of Cardinals and eventually tackled from behind by first base coach Stubby Clapp.
After the game, Alonso talked about the takedown.
“I got pulled from behind,” Alonso told reporters. “Actually, Genesis Cabrera grabbed me by the back of the collar and he just ripped down. Then the coach just kind of jumped on me, and I thought that was kind of cheap — going from behind. If you want to hold me back, if you want to restrain me, go at me like a man.”
Speaking about the brawl and the way it was incited, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said he took exception with the way Lopez threw up and in to Arenado, making no mention of the pitch from his pitcher the night before that hit Alonso in the head, or the pitch from earlier on Wednesday that was up-and-in to Brandon Nimmo.
And Marmol was also fine with his coach, who was ejected for his actions along with Arenado, tackling Alonso from behind.
“I don’t see an issue with it at all,” Marmol said, adding that Clapp was trying to keep Alonso away from the Cardinals players.
Asked about Marmol’s comments, Alonso said he understood the Cardinals wanting to protect themselves.
“I totally understand, because I’m a big guy — a big, strong guy,” Alonso said. “Obviously the manager wants to have protection for his team and his staff. I totally get it. For me, I’m a big, strong guy. They don’t know my temper. They don’t know what I can do. If I wanted to put someone in the hospital, I easily could. I was just out there trying to protect my guys.”