New York Mets designated hitter Pete Alonso. (Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports)
Mets brawl today: These players could be suspended
When the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals got into a benches-clearing brawl, first baseman Pete Alonso ended up in the dirt.
There were ugly scenes in St. Louis on Wednesday as the hostilities in the series between the Mets and the Cardinals reached a fever pitch.
The flashpoint happened when Yoan Lopez threw a pitch near Nolan Arenado’s head. The third baseman took offense and let his anger be known. That’s when the benches cleared.
With players from both dugouts rushing onto the field, Pete Alonso ended up in the scrum and was pulled to the ground during the ruckus.
Mets brawl: Cardinals shove Pete Alonso to the ground in scary incident
After the game, Alonso accused Genesis Cabrera of being the one to grab him from behind and pulling him down. First-base coach Stubby Capp was also involved.
“If you want to pull me back, if you want to restrain me, go at me like a man,” Alonso said.
“If I wanted to put someone in the hospital I easily could but I was just out there trying to protect my guys.”
Alonso also weighed in on how the whole incident went down. He said he didn’t understand why Arenado and the Cardinals responded to Lopez’s pitch the way they did. In Alonso’s view, the pitch wasn’t that close to the batter’s head.
Pete Alonso on today’s Mets-Cardinals brawl: “It just didn’t make sense. The ball wasn’t even close. It’s something that started for no reason.”
On being tackled by Stubby Clapp: “If you want to hold me back, you want to restrain me, go at me like a man.”#STLCards pic.twitter.com/fF4OGL5e0t
— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) April 27, 2022
The series, which the Mets won 2-1 despite Wednesday’s 10-5 loss, has been plagued with HBP drama. Alonso himself had to be checked for a concussion after taking a pitch to the helmet.
