SAN DIEGO — San Diego Padres slugger Carlos Quentin rushed the mound and wrestled Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke to the ground after getting hit by a pitch Thursday night, leading to a benches-clearing brawl between the teams that
SAN DIEGO — San Diego Padres slugger Carlos Quentin rushed the mound and wrestled Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke to the ground after getting hit by a pitch Thursday night, leading to a benches-clearing brawl between the teams that left Greinke with a broken left collarbone.
The Dodgers beat the Padres 3-2.
After he was plunked on the left shoulder in the sixth inning, Quentin started walking toward the mound. Greinke appeared to say something and Quentin then charged the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner.
They dropped their shoulders and collided, and Quentin tackled the pitcher to the grass. Both ended up on the bottom of a huge scrum as players from both sides ran onto the field and jumped in.
Greinke lowered his left (non-throwing) shoulder into Quentin and took the brunt of the blow as they collided. Greinke joined the Dodgers as a free agent in the offseason, signing a $147 million, six-year contract. He missed time during spring training with a tender right elbow. Quentin was slowed by a balky right knee after having offseason surgery.
When they finally were pulled apart, Quentin was led off the field by teammate Mark Kotsay. Greinke walked off toward the Dodgers’ dugout, his uniform top disheveled.
After the teams started clearing the field, Jerry Hairston Jr. came running across the field yelling and pointing at someone in the San Diego dugout and had to be restrained.
Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp also was livid, perhaps in part because Padres starter Jason Marquis threw a high-and-tight pitch to him in the first inning.
The benches and bullpens emptied again, leading to pushing and shoving. But it did not appear any punches were thrown.
Quentin was hit by a pitch above the right wrist by Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario on Tuesday and had to leave the game.
Greinke plunked Quentin once in 2008 and once in 2009 when both were in the American League, according to STATS.
Quentin has been hit by pitches 116 times in his career, including an AL-high 23 times in 2011. Greinke has hit 46 batters since his big league debut in 2004.
Quentin, Kemp and Hairston were ejected. Los Angeles reliever Chris Capuano was given all the time he needed to warm up when play finally resumed after a delay of about 15 minutes, indicating Greinke left with an injury.
