MLB suspends reliever Bryan Abreu for hitting Adolis Garcia

Houston — Houston Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu was suspended for two games and fined Saturday for the Major League Baseball (MLB)who said he intentionally threw at Adolis Garcia of the Texas Rangers during Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.

MLB concluded that all six umpires decided that Abreu’s throw was intentional. Major League Baseball added that it “took into account the dangerous nature of the field and its potential impact on player safety.”

Abreu would begin suspension with Game 6 on Sunday unless he appeals. His throw started a bench-clearing incident that caused a 12-minute delay before play resumed.

The suspension was announced by MLB Senior Vice President Michael Hill. John McHale Jr., special assistant to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, would hear the appeal.

Garcia and Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. were fined along with Texas pitcher Matt Bush. McCullers and Bush are prohibited from sitting on their team’s benches for the remainder of the series.

Houston manager Dusty Baker was fined for his actions following his ejection. Baker remained in the Astros dugout for six minutes before leaving for the clubhouse.

Baker was asked Saturday about his thought process in sitting back in the dugout after being ejected.

“My thought process is that I wasn’t ready to go because it shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” he said. “That was my thought process.”

They then asked him what the referees said when they approached him in the dugout when he didn’t want to leave.

“Well, they didn’t say much,” he said. “They just turned around and said, ‘He’s not leaving.’ “Then they turned around and said they couldn’t start until I left.”

Baker was asked about the incident.

“It happens,” he said. “And you don’t write it down. It is a spontaneous and combustible reaction that gets out of control. And most of us want to be in control. Most of us want to play ball. “The majority don’t want to box.”

Texas manager Bruce Bochy was asked if he thinks the fight will move to Game 6.

“To be honest, I don’t see this happening again,” he said.