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March 27, 2006
More from Journal sportswirter Sean McAdam on today's Red Sox-Devil Rays brawl:
Julian Tavarez had been having a rough inning, hitting Nick Green and coming up and in on Julio Lugo -- prompting Lugo to stare down Tavarez -- before Lugo singled to left.
Joey Gathright, the runner on second, took a wide turn at third and Lugo took a wide turn at first as the throw came to the plate. Catcher Ken Huckaby held the ball, attempting to bluff both runners back to their bases, and then threw to second in order to keep Lugo from advancing. As he did, Gathright broke for home.
Huckaby was away from the plate when he made the throw so Tavarez went home to cover. He was facing the right-field line when Gathright slid in, and Gathright's legs apparently got tangled with Tavarez'. Gathright stood up, and Tavarez swung and connected with a roundhouse right to the head.
Both benches emptied and -- unlike Sunday, when the only players upset were Josh Beckett and Ryan Howard -- tempers flared. Police officers assigned to the dugouts came on the field as the players pushed and pulled at each other. Gathright especially was attempting to get at Tavarez and he was eventually pulled away in a peace-keeping gesture by Jonathan Papelbon and Sox' hitting coach Ron Jackson.
When things settled in and players returned to their benches and their positions, the Devil Rays' Carl Crawford and one of his teammates began yelling at Tavarez again from the Tampa Bay dugout. That prompted the benches to empty again -- Adam Stern and first-base coach Bill Haselman led the Sox -- but no punches or shoves were exchanged.
Tavarez was ejected from the game. It is not known whether Gathright was also thrown out.
The Sox won, 12-11.
Posted by Art 
at 4:57 PM | Permalink
Green Monster | March 27, 2006 9:14 PM link
Tavarez needs to learn that when you pitch for the Sox, you don't punch with your pitching hand. Somebody please straighten this guy out, it's a long season and it wasn't even the Yankees.