WASHINGTON — The Mets weren’t happy when Nationals pitchers hit them with pitches three times Thursday, and anger was heightened when Francisco Lindor was hit Friday night.
The benches and bullpens were cleared during a heated altercation that turned a fifth-inning baseball game at Nationals Park into a scrum match.
With no one out and Starling Marte in second, Lindor flipped to Bunt, but a fastball from reliever Steve Cishek got his lead. It was unclear exactly where the ball hit, but Lindor hit the ground and the Mets — led by manager Buck Showalter — began pouring onto the field while pointing at Cishek.
The sides pushed and pushed for a few minutes before separating. Cishek was knocked out of the game and Lindor left after being mentored by a coach. The Mets announced that X-rays of Lindor’s jaw were negative and the shortstop had passed a concussion test.
Showalter said the Mets were unlucky when James McCann was hit twice Thursday and Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch that brushed off his shoulder and hit his helmet flap.
Mets starter Max Scherzer hit Washington’s Josh Bell in the lower leg in the second inning on a chilly night, potentially affecting how pitchers were able to keep the ball.
“It’s dangerous,” Showalter said before the game. “If yours [catcher] Sit under the hitter and in there, you better be in charge. I did this with pitchers: if he doesn’t have command, you can’t have him thrown in there. Or you can’t make him your club.”
https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/mets-nationals-benches-clear-after-francisco-lindor-gets-beaned/ Mets, Nationals bench vacated after hitting Francisco Lindor