Buck Showalter suspended one game, Yoan Lopez three for throwing at Kyle Schwarber
Mets relief pitcher Yoan Lopez reacts after hitting the Phillies' Alec Bohm during the ninth inning on Sunday at Citi Field. Credit: AP/Jessie Alcheh
Mets manager Buck Showalter was suspended one game and reliever Yoan Lopez was suspended three games for pitches that MLB deemed intentionally thrown at the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber on Sunday night, the league announced 20 minutes before the Mets’ game Monday against Atlanta.
That forced Showalter to sit out the series opener; bench coach Glenn Sherlock filled in.
After the Mets lost, 5-2, Sherlock opted to let Showalter reveal the manager's reaction to the punishment.
“That’s probably something you’re going to talk to Buck about,” Sherlock said, noting that the Mets learned they would be without their manager about 45 minutes before first pitch. “We were all — it is what it is. That’s baseball. We were surprised, I gotta tell you that.”
Lopez was sent to Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, so he will serve his suspension upon his next promotion. Both also were fined.
With the Mets two outs away from beating Philadelphia on Sunday, Lopez threw his first two pitches — both fastballs — way inside to Schwarber, drawing a warning from plate umpire Jerry Meals.
Schwarber, who homered twice in the game, eventually grounded out.
Lopez hit the next batter, Alec Bohm, with a changeup.
In the previous half-inning, Cristopher Sanchez hit Francisco Lindor in the leg with a pitch. It was the Mets’ MLB-leading 20th HBP of the year, a trend that has upset them.
This is the second such incident Lopez has had in a week. On Wednesday in St. Louis, he threw a pitch up and in to Nolan Arenado, triggering a benches-clearing incident. He was merely fined for that one.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
