ST. LOUIS — The New York Mets’ hit-by-pitch frustrations boiled over Wednesday when reliever Yoan Lopez threw a pitch near Nolan Arenado’s head, sparking a benches-clearing brawl that led to Arenado’s ejection in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 10-5 victory.
Arenado reached four times and drove in three runs before the incident in the eighth inning.
Mets hitter J.D. Davis left in the top of the eighth after being hit in the left foot by a pitch from Genesis Cabrera, the major league-leading 19th hit-by-pitch for the Mets this season – including three Tuesday night against St. Louis.
Lopez zipped a 94 mph fastball near Arenado’s head, and Arenado began yelling for Lopez to “do it again.” The benches and bullpens cleared, and the teams pushed and shoved near home plate.
Cardinals first-base coach Stubby Clapp tackled Mets star Pete Alonso near the center of the melee. Cardinals veteran Adam Wainwright later walked over to Alonso to ask if he was all right.
Clapp was ejected along with Arenado, but Lopez remained in the game.
Lopez was high-fived by several teammates when he returned to the dugout after the inning.
Mets Manager Buck Showalter denied after the game that New York felt the need to send a message about the plunkings and said Lopez’s pitch wasn’t intentional.
Showalter also said X-rays on Davis’ foot were negative, but he’d need further evaluation.
DIAMONDBACKS 3, DODGERS 1: Zac Gallen pitched six scoreless innings and Arizona scored two runs after Max Muncy’s throwing error in the eighth inning to beat visiting Los Angeles.
Gallen allowed two hits and left with a 1-0 lead, but Ian Kennedy (2-1) gave up Trea Turner’s run-scoring single in the eighth inning.
Arizona went back ahead in the bottom half, when Daulton Varsho scored from first base after Muncy threw the ball into right field on Sergio Alcantara’s sacrifice bunt. Matt Davidson put the Diamondbacks up 3-1 with a groundout off Daniel Hudson (1-1).
BREWERS 3, PIRATES 1: Aaron Ashby combined with four relievers on a one-hitter, Tyrone Taylor singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, and Milwaukee won at Pittsburgh.
Neither team got a hit until the sixth inning. Ashby’s no-hit bid ended when Bryan Reynolds hit a hard shot that deflected off the glove of third baseman Mike Brosseau for a single.
Making his second start of the season and sixth of his career, Ashby worked 5 2/3 innings, walking five and striking out six.
PADRES 8, REDS 5: Jurickson Profar hit a three-run homer, MacKenzie Gore struck out 10 over five innings and San Diego won at Cincinnati.
Gore (2-0) allowed a run on five hits as the Padres won for the seventh time in nine games. Eric Hosmer drove in two runs, including a leadoff homer in the eighth.
MARLINS 2, NATIONALS 1: Pablo Lopez lowered his majors-best ERA to 0.39 by throwing six shutout innings, Jesus Aguilar homered, and visiting Miami moved above .500 for the first time in 2022 by edging slumping Washington.
Mixing a four-seam fastball, cutter and changeup, Lopez (3-0) baffled an already-in-trouble Nationals offense, which has scored a total of 14 runs during a losing streak that grew to seven games.
Lopez entered with a 0.52 ERA and gave up just three hits. He struck out six and walked one.
PHILLIES 7, ROCKIES 3: Bryce Harper had a triple among his three hits, Odubel Herrera homered and drove in two runs, and Philadelphia won its third straight over visiting Colorado.
Didi Gregorius added a double, single and two RBI for Philadelphia, which has outscored Colorado 25-8 in the series.
C.J. Cron homered and Jose Iglesias had four singles for the Rockies.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
RAYS 3, MARINERS 2: Drew Rasmussen struck out nine in six shutout innings, Kevin Kiermaier hit a two-run home run and Tampa Bay won at home, ending the Mariners’ four-game winning streak.
Rasmussen (1-1) set career highs in innings pitched, pitches (84) and strikeouts in his 14th career start. He gave up two hits and one walk and retired the last 10 Mariners he faced.
Seattle starter Marco Gonzales (1-2) lasted just 11 pitches and left after being struck on the left wrist by a line drive hit by Harold Ramirez. The hit drove in the first run of the game.
YANKEES 5, ORIOLES 2: Giancarlo Stanton hit his 350th career homer and lifted a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, sending New York to a win at home.
Joey Gallo also homered for the second straight night, his third straight game with an RBI after going his first 14 games without one.
WHITE SOX 7, ROYALS 3: Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, and host Chicago stopped an eight-game slide.
The winning rally for the White Sox started when Danny Mendick and Tim Anderson hit consecutive two-out singles off Collin Snider (2-1). Scott Barlow then came in, and Vaughn drove his first pitch into the home bullpen in left.
The White Sox added another run in the eighth when Leury Garcia scampered home on Reese McGuire’s double-play grounder.
Jake Burger hit a solo homer as Chicago got its first win since April 16. Burger finished with three hits, and Vaughn had four RBI.
Whit Merrifield drove in two runs for Kansas City, which lost for the five time in six games.
TWINS 5, TIGERS 0: Joe Ryan threw seven innings of one-hit ball and Max Kepler stayed hot with a pair of home runs as streaking Minnesota won at home.
Ryan Jeffers homered, doubled and drove in three runs for the Twins, who won their sixth game in a row.
Michael Pineda (1-1) took the loss. He gave up four runs, including all three Twins homers, in five innings against his former team.
Ryan (3-1) was dominant from the start, holding the Tigers hitless until Miguel Cabrera laced a single in the fourth. The right-hander walked just one batter and struck out nine, two shy of his career high. He extended his scoreless streak to 17 2/3 innings and lowered his ERA to 1.17.
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