Angels’ Nevin banned 10 games for brawl; M’s Winker gets 7

AP

15:11 JST, June 28, 2022

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels interim manager Phil Nevin was suspended 10 games and Seattle Mariners outfielder Jesse Winker received a seven-game ban from Major League Baseball for their roles in a benches-clearing brawl during the second inning of Sunday’s game.

Nevin and Winker were two of 12 players or coaches suspended between the teams, according to an MLB release Monday night.

Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford received five games, Angels pitchers Ryan Tepera and Andrew Wantz were suspended for three, and Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez, Angels reliever Raisel Iglesias and major league interpreter Manny Del Campo received two games.

Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon, who is out for the rest of the season after undergoing wrist surgery, will be suspended five games when he returns from the injured list. For now, he is prohibited from sitting on the bench for the next seven games.

Nevin received a significant suspension for Angels opener Wantz intentionally throwing at Winker while warnings were in place for both teams. Nevin made the late decision to pitch Wantz instead of scheduled starter Jose Suarez.

Nevin’s suspension began Monday night as the Angels opened a series against the Chicago White Sox. Bench coach Ray Montgomery, who received a two-game suspension, will manage in Nevin’s place. Montgomery and catching coach Bill Haselman (one game) will begin serving their suspensions after assistant pitching coach Dom Chiti returns from his five-game ban.

The punishments were announced within 90 minutes of Los Angeles’ and Seattle’s games Monday night.

Winker was hit by the first pitch of the second inning by Wantz, who had also thrown a pitch behind Rodríguez’s head during in the first inning. Wantz, who is suspended for three games, is the only player not appealing.

The up-and-in pitches appeared to be the Angels’ response to Erik Swanson’s 95 mph fastball near Mike Trout’s head during the ninth inning Saturday night. Trout voiced his frustration about the pitch following the game.

Winker reacted to getting hit by Wantz, angrily yelling and gesturing toward the Angels’ dugout. Winker then charged Los Angeles’ dugout on the third-base side after yelling at Nevin with both benches and bullpens emptying.

The brawl lasted nearly four minutes, with both teams appearing to throw multiple punches.

The game was delayed for 18 minutes. Of the eight who were ejected, Seattle manager Scott Servais is the only one who wasn’t suspended.

Before the bans were announced, Nevin disputed that he used Wantz to throw at Seattle’s players.

“That’s not factual. But I don’t want to get into a war of words with that,” Nevin said. “What’s done is done. Yesterday’s over and done with. We’re focused on the White Sox today.”

Sunday’s brawl may have been the ugliest involving the Angels since one in 1998 in Kansas City after a series of hit batters. Nevin was playing for Los Angeles and received a three-game suspension, while manager Terry Collins was out for eight.

Winker said he expected a lengthy suspension before the Mariners faced Baltimore on Monday night.

“I think it’s a bad look on Phil Nevin and could have been handled differently,” he said. “But they decide to run their mouth and I didn’t like that. It’s that simple. There’s nothing else left to say about that. They’re going to suspend me, they’re going to suspend Crawford and that’s MLB’s decision.”

The AL West rivals play 11 more times this season, but not until the start of a four-game series in Seattle on Aug. 5.