Absolute bedlam broke loose at Fenway Park Tuesday night.
The Red Sox and Nationals turned a regular June game into the biggest baseball brawl of the season after Boston hothead Willson Contreras completely lost it.
Commissioner Rob Manfred can’t hop on the phone fast enough.
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Willson Contreras reacts with interim bench coach José David Flores after fourth-inning ejection versus Nationals. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) ((Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images))
It all started in the fourth inning when Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli punched out a visibly frustrated Contreras and barked at him to “sit down.”
Contreras immediately erupted. He charged the mound, and the dugouts and bullpens emptied as the infield turned into a full-blown brawl. Contreras eventually broke free from the sea of players trying to hold him back, reigniting the chaos.
WATCH:
Things hit a boiling point when Contreras leaped into the air and hurled his batting helmet directly at Cavalli.
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The umpires issued a flurry of ejections. Contreras was tossed immediately, while Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton, interim manager Chad Tracy and Washington pitcher Miles Mikolas were all sent to the showers early.
Willson Contreras reacts during a benches-clearing altercation against the Nationals at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) ((Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images))
Willson Contreras speaks with interim bench coach José David Flores after his ejection following fourth-inning benches-clearing drama. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) ((Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images))
Tuesday night’s explosion from Contreras had actually been 24 hours in the making.
On Monday night, Contreras was ejected in the second inning after a check-swing strikeout prompted him to give a sarcastic ABS challenge gesture at the umpire, earning an instant boot. Earlier that day, Contreras had broken down in tears while talking about the deadly earthquakes that devastated his native Venezuela.
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By getting ejected on consecutive nights, the 34-year-old capped one of the wildest 48-hour stretches of his career.
But MLB isn’t exactly in the empathy business.
When you turn your batting helmet into a weapon, the suspension hammer is coming regardless.
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