The Dodgers have been busy on the brawling circuit this season, and not just at the major league level. The Triple-A Albuquerque squad got in a heated brawl on Saturday night with the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals), and on Monday received their punishment, per Chris Jackson of the Albuquerque Examiner:
Outfielder Jeremy Moore, infielder Justin Sellers and relief pitcher Josh Wall will serve three-game suspensions beginning Monday.
Shortstop Dee Gordon, infielder Rusty Ryal and starting pitcher Aaron Laffey will then serve their suspensions after the first three complete theirs. Laffey's suspension was the longest, five games, though that was just due to him being a starter, Bundy said.
Mark Smith at the Albuquerque Journal has more on the brawl:
The problems started when Memphis starting pitcher Maikel Cleto hit Albuquerque’s Jeremy Moore with a pitch to lead off the third inning. Albuquerque led 3-1 at the time. In the first inning, Moore called for time while at the plate just before a Cleto pitch, which appeared to miff Cleto.
Both benches started to empty after Moore was hit, and he started heading toward the mound. But the umpires stepped in and there was no major incident. Both teams received a warning.
As if that helped.
Moore didn’t get a chance to face Cleto again, as the Memphis right-hander was lifted with no outs, one run in and two on in the bottom of the fourth. Moore, probably not so coincidentally, was coming to the plate.
Enter Redbirds reliever Jorge Rondon, and Moore got his revenge by crushing a three-run homer to make it 8-2.
The ‘Topes’ Justin Sellers was next to bat, and two pitches later it was time to rumble. On a 1-0 count, Rondon fired a ball that appeared to hit Sellers in the neck-shoulder area. Both benches emptied – as did the bullpens from left field.