Subscribe now
Seattle Mariners

Mariners brawl with Angels after being thrown at twice; eight get ejected

Scott Hanson Seattle Times

The Angels were apparently in the mood to pick a fight Sunday.

And that’s what they got.

After Andrew Wantz threw at — but missed — Julio Rodriguez in the first inning, Wantz hit Jesse Winker to open the second inning, and then things got out of control.

Winker started exchanging shouts with the Angels dugout, then made his way over there and a few seconds later punches started flying.

Players ran from the benches and bullpen onto the field, and a full-scale brawl ensued. Just when it seemed it was calming down, it was back on.

Finally, order was restored, but not before Angels reliever Raisel Iglesias threw boxes of sunflower seeds onto the field. And not before Winker started flipping off the crowd, and had to be restrained from going after the Angels again.

After 18 minutes, the game finally resumed.

Angels manager Phil Nevin and pitchers, Wantz, Iglesias and Ryan Tepera were ejected. Mariners manager Scott Servais, Winker, shortstop J.P. Crawford and Rodriguez were also ejected.

Any of those ejected will likely face suspensions. Crawford can be seen on video throwing punches. For a Mariners team already dealing with several injuries on offense, suspensions could prove costly.

The Angels came into the game with the obvious intent of retaliating for an Erik Swanson pitch that got away in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday night and was near Angels star Mike Trout’s head.

After the game, Trout said this to reporters: “If you can’t pitch inside, don’t pitch inside. And if you’re going to hit me, hit me in the ribs. Don’t hit me in the head.”

It became clear the Angels would retaliate when before the game, they announced that Wantz would open for starter Jose Suarez.

It seemed that budding star Rodriguez would be an obvious target, so it was no surprise when Wantz’s first pitch to Rodriguez was high and so inside it went behind him.

Both teams were warned, and it seemed that might be the end of it. But Wantz, instead of Suarez, started the second inning and he didn’t miss Winker with the first pitch.

And the Angels had the fight they were seemingly begging for.