The Pittsburgh Pirates open a three-game series with the New York Mets tonight at PNC Park. Game time is 7:05pm. Pre-game on WISR 680am will be 6:40pm. The Bucs begin the weekend with the second-worst record in the National League. They are 11 games behind the first-place St. Louis Cardinals in the N.L. Central.
Trevor Williams will start for the Pirates tonight. Steven Matz goes to the mound for the Mets.
(The Bucs and Reds play again Saturday night at 7:05pm. WISR pre-game is 6:40pm. Sunday’s game begins at 1:35pm. WISR pre-game is 12:35pm with the Neil Huntington Show).
Major League Baseball handed down a number of suspensions Thursday for this week’s brawl between the Pirates and Cincinnati Reds. Six players have been suspended and fined, and both managers are facing suspensions and fines.
Pirates pitcher Keone Kela received a 10-game suspension after his pitch to Derek Dietrich went high and over Dietrich’s head. He was considered the trigger point for the on-field issues. Jose Osuna received five games for “aggressive and inappropriate actions” during the ninth inning episode.
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was suspended two games for his team’s conduct during the incident and for multiple intentional pitches thrown at Dietrich this season. Reds manager David Bell received a six-game suspension for his role in the incident. Bell had been ejected from the game, but returned to the field when the fight began, and went after Hurdle. (Bell has been ejected eight times this season….)
Reliever Kyle Crick received a three-game suspension starting pitcher Trevor Williams was fined. Williams is accused of inciting the Reds reliever who started the ninth inning brawl.
Cincinnati reliever Amir Garrett, who charged the Pirates dugout and threw the first punch received an eight-game suspension. Former Pirate and current Reds reliever Jared Hughes got a three game suspension for intentionally hitting Starling Marte with a pitch, in retaliation for the Kela pitch.
Also suspended for three-games was outfielder Yasiel Puig, who rushed the field during the incident, even though he had been traded to Cleveland during the game. It was the second time this season Puig was suspended for an incident involving the Pirates.
All of the players are appealing their discipline – and will be eligible to play until final decisions are handed down.