Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 27, 2024 5:46:37 GMT -5
Why did Red Sox, Brewers clear benches Sunday? Chris Martin explains
Updated: May. 26, 2024, 9:04 p.m.|Published: May. 26, 2024, 5:00 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON — There were brief fireworks in the middle of the seventh inning of Sunday’s Red Sox win over the Brewers — and they were caused by reliever Chris Martin taking exception to Milwaukee bunting twice against him in the top of that inning and expressing his frustration to the Brewers’ first base coach.
With the game tied, 1-1, Blake Perkins led off the top of the seventh with a bunt single off Martin, then advanced to second when Brice Turang put down a sacrifice bunt for the first out. Martin battled back to get two straight groundouts to end the inning, and as he was walking toward the dugout, let Quintin Berry know that he didn’t like the approach.
Things escalated quickly, with Martin and Berry exchanging words, the dugouts emptying and relievers from both bullpens running in toward the first base side of the diamond. No punches were thrown as coaches on both sides, including Sox game planning coordinator Jason Varitek, cooled tensions.
“I probably said some things under my breath that were directed towards that inning,” Martin said. “I’ll let y’all determine what them things were. Heat of the moment. They bunted twice ... I didn’t like it. I know it’s part of the game but it is what it is. I let them know.
“I feel like, in this league, swing the bat. That’s it.”
Some pitchers have historically had issues with opposing teams bunting against them for hits, feeling that doing so violated an unwritten rule. Notably, the Sox and Brewers engaged in some gamesmanship before Saturday’s game, when Milwaukee didn’t announce its starting pitcher/opener as early as usual and the Red Sox countered by 38 minutes before first pitch.
Martin felt like bunting to get on base was a bad look.
“Honestly, it’s probably a compliment,” he said. “Maybe they don’t think they can get a hit or whatever.”
Both managers expressed that they were glad tensions didn’t escalate to the point where anyone got injured.
“From what I understand ... I think their pitcher showed some emotion and I think our people thought it was directed at them,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy. “I don’t know if it really was or wasn’t. I’m not gonna speculate on what the kid was doing. But if you’re staring at somebody and saying it, it could be interpreted that you’re saying it to them. We take offense to, if you’re gonna yell at us, say something and make it personal. We’re gonna stand up for ourselves.”
“I think Q (Berry) took exception to something Marty said,” said Alex Cora. “I don’t know. Players are the players. Our job is to avoid stuff like that as coaches.”
Martin said he had no beef with Berry, who he played with as a member of the 2013 Pawtucket Red Sox. Berry actually made Boston’s postseason roster that season as a speed option off the bench and had three stolen bases (including one in the World Series).
“Obviously, you don’t want things like that to happen. It looks bad. But heat of the moment, it’s competition,” Martin said. “I said something and he said something back. It’s not like it was a one-way street.”
Shortly after the scuffle, the Red Sox pulled ahead to take the lead and eventually beat Milwaukee to avoid a three-game sweep. In the bottom of the eighth, Ceddanne Rafaela hit a leadoff double off Elvis Peguero, then scored when Jarren Duran laced an RBI single through the infield. Both Duran and Martin felt like getting fired up when the benches cleared helped propel the Sox toward a 2-1 victory.
“Any time you clear the benches, it gets everybody riled up,” Duran said. “I was coming in from left field. I didn’t hear too much of what was going on. I was just in the scuffle of things trying not to cause too many problems.”
Updated: May. 26, 2024, 9:04 p.m.|Published: May. 26, 2024, 5:00 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON — There were brief fireworks in the middle of the seventh inning of Sunday’s Red Sox win over the Brewers — and they were caused by reliever Chris Martin taking exception to Milwaukee bunting twice against him in the top of that inning and expressing his frustration to the Brewers’ first base coach.
With the game tied, 1-1, Blake Perkins led off the top of the seventh with a bunt single off Martin, then advanced to second when Brice Turang put down a sacrifice bunt for the first out. Martin battled back to get two straight groundouts to end the inning, and as he was walking toward the dugout, let Quintin Berry know that he didn’t like the approach.
Things escalated quickly, with Martin and Berry exchanging words, the dugouts emptying and relievers from both bullpens running in toward the first base side of the diamond. No punches were thrown as coaches on both sides, including Sox game planning coordinator Jason Varitek, cooled tensions.
“I probably said some things under my breath that were directed towards that inning,” Martin said. “I’ll let y’all determine what them things were. Heat of the moment. They bunted twice ... I didn’t like it. I know it’s part of the game but it is what it is. I let them know.
“I feel like, in this league, swing the bat. That’s it.”
Some pitchers have historically had issues with opposing teams bunting against them for hits, feeling that doing so violated an unwritten rule. Notably, the Sox and Brewers engaged in some gamesmanship before Saturday’s game, when Milwaukee didn’t announce its starting pitcher/opener as early as usual and the Red Sox countered by 38 minutes before first pitch.
Martin felt like bunting to get on base was a bad look.
“Honestly, it’s probably a compliment,” he said. “Maybe they don’t think they can get a hit or whatever.”
Both managers expressed that they were glad tensions didn’t escalate to the point where anyone got injured.
“From what I understand ... I think their pitcher showed some emotion and I think our people thought it was directed at them,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy. “I don’t know if it really was or wasn’t. I’m not gonna speculate on what the kid was doing. But if you’re staring at somebody and saying it, it could be interpreted that you’re saying it to them. We take offense to, if you’re gonna yell at us, say something and make it personal. We’re gonna stand up for ourselves.”
“I think Q (Berry) took exception to something Marty said,” said Alex Cora. “I don’t know. Players are the players. Our job is to avoid stuff like that as coaches.”
Martin said he had no beef with Berry, who he played with as a member of the 2013 Pawtucket Red Sox. Berry actually made Boston’s postseason roster that season as a speed option off the bench and had three stolen bases (including one in the World Series).
“Obviously, you don’t want things like that to happen. It looks bad. But heat of the moment, it’s competition,” Martin said. “I said something and he said something back. It’s not like it was a one-way street.”
Shortly after the scuffle, the Red Sox pulled ahead to take the lead and eventually beat Milwaukee to avoid a three-game sweep. In the bottom of the eighth, Ceddanne Rafaela hit a leadoff double off Elvis Peguero, then scored when Jarren Duran laced an RBI single through the infield. Both Duran and Martin felt like getting fired up when the benches cleared helped propel the Sox toward a 2-1 victory.
“Any time you clear the benches, it gets everybody riled up,” Duran said. “I was coming in from left field. I didn’t hear too much of what was going on. I was just in the scuffle of things trying not to cause too many problems.”