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The benches cleared in the Mets and Cardinals game after St. Louis third-baseman Nolan Arenado took a fastball up and in on Wednesday afternoon. Arenado was ejected following the incident, as was Cardinals' first-base coach Stubby Clapp.
Tensions finally boiled over in the bottom of the eighth inning in a game the Cardinals won 10-5. It began when Mets' third baseman J.D. Davis took a breaking ball off the foot in the top half of the inning. Davis tried to walk it off, but ended up leaving the game.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Mets didn't take long to respond. New York reliever Yoan López threw high and inside on Arenado, backing the Cardinals' star off the plate. Both benches could be seen shouting at one another. And when Arenado challenged López with a couple steps towards the mound, the dugouts cleared.
Ultimately, it was a minor fracas. But the umps tossed Arenado for igniting the incident. They also ejected Cardinals' first-base coach Stubby Clapp after he wrestled Mets' star Pete Alonso to the ground during the skirmish. It seemed as if Clapp was trying to calm Alonso, but nonetheless, Stubby hit the showers early. López, meanwhile, remained in the game, a decision Cardinals' manager Oliver Marmol seemed upset with.
First-base coach Stubby Clapp was ejected, presumably for his takedown of Pete Alonso. Willie McGree coaching first now.
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) April 27, 2022
Arenado appears to have been ejected and Lopez is still in the game. Marmol seemed very displeased about that. Stubby Clapp was ejected as well. Willie McGee is coaching first base.
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) April 27, 2022
Though seemingly unintentional, Davis' hit by pitch marked the 19th time in the team's first 20 games that a Mets batter has been plunked. That includes yesterday, when three Mets batters were hit by Cardinals pitchers. Yesterday's beanings fueled fiery postgame comments from Mets' pitcher Chris Bassitt.
New York has a day off tomorrow to cool down before facing the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend. Meanwhile St. Louis plays host to the Arizona Diamondbacks tomorrow in game one of a four-game series.
