Frustrations from both the Mets and Cardinals boiled over in St. Louis on Wednesday afternoon, with both benches clearing following an up-and-in pitch from Yoan Lopez to Nolan Arenado after J.D. Davis was hit in the foot.
Pete Alonso, who was hit on Tuesday night by Kodi Whitley, was at the center of the action, as he was pulled down by Cardinals pitcher Genesis Cabrera and first base coach Stubby Clapp.
After the game, Alonso was asked about the altercation, but he was also asked about being hit in the helmet for the second time this season.
“Getting domed up isn’t fun,” said Alonso. “It’s obviously not safe, it’s dangerous and there are consequences whether it’s on purpose or not, and we’re going to stand up for ourselves.
“What happened today just didn’t make sense; the ball [to Arenado] wasn’t even close. Something got started for no reason and it wasn’t even close. I know it’s a five-run ballgame, but we’re trying to come back. The whole thing didn’t make sense.”
But for Alonso and the Mets, what transpired in this series was part of a larger trend, as the Mets have now been hit by pitches 19 times this season, by far the most of any major league team.
And as you can imagine, Alonso is frustrated with how often his teammates have gotten thrown at above the shoulders.
“I’m not a pitcher, but I just can’t comprehend guys missing that badly. It’s not even close,” Alonso said of getting hit in the helmet. “I’m 6-foot-3, I’m a tall guy, and I know guys are getting incentivized to throw hard, throw up and all that, but I just don’t know how the misses are that bad. For me, it’s just kind of a head-scratcher that guys, big-leaguers, can miss that badly. For me, it’s a head-scratcher.
“I don’t know what the issue is, but for me it’s been an issue since there’s been a crackdown (on pitchers using sticky substances). I got hit in the face against San Diego last year. Thank God for the chin flap. It happened with Kevin Pillar last year, everyone remembers that one. Obviously, Francisco [Lindor] got hit, I got hit twice. All of my years playing baseball this hasn’t been an issue until the past year. I just don’t understand.”
“For me, it’s frustrating that it’s happening and I feel like for us, we’ve been hit a lot, more than everybody else, and yeah, I got hit in the head and J.D. [Davis] had to come out today from another hit-by pitch,” he later added. “Balls are coming in 97, 98, 100 mph, and I wish that anyone on the outside could understand what it’s like between the lines when you see the ball coming at you that fast. You just don’t understand until you’re in the box.
“Big-leaguers that are supposed to be the best in the world at what they do shouldn’t be missing up around guys necks. No one should be throwing neck balls.”
To the Mets’ credit, they held their cool pretty well on Tuesday, as no Mets players or staff members were ejected during the benches-clearing standoff, while both Arenado and Clapp were tossed for the Cardinals.
Alonso was clearly unhappy with what’s been going on, but he’s happy to have his teammates by his side.
“I can’t imagine going into battle with anybody else,” Alonso said. “I have some unbelievable teammates, I have some unbelievable staff, and for us it’s just on to the next one.
“I mean, it happened but we don’t take this stuff lightly. We don’t take getting hit in the head. Whether it’s on purpose or on accident, guys are still getting hit in the head, it doesn’t matter. Like if someone T-bones you, right? ‘Oh, it was an accident.’ You still flipped someone’s car over, right? So, it doesn’t matter where the intent is, the fact of the matter is that it’s still happening.”