Wild Venezuelan brawl started with a 'hit catcher'

A Venezuelan League game spiraled into one of the wildest baseball brawls in recent memory on Wednesday night.

After being thrown at twice in the eighth inning, Águilas del Zulia's Alex Romero, formerly an outfielder with the D-backs in 2008-09, struck Caribes de Anzoátegui catcher Gabriel Lino multiple times with his bat. Lino responded by hurling his glove at Romero as players from both teams stormed the field. The Venezuelan League is currently reviewing the incident.

“It’s sad really, because to use a bat or ball to fight someone doesn’t look good and it’s uncalled for,” Águilas del Zulia general manager Luis Amaro, the brother of longtime baseball executive and coach Ruben Amaro Jr., told MLB.com. “Alex is in the dumps right now. He told us that he had built respect for 20 years in the game and it was one bad moment. He said, ' ... I really didn’t think.' At this point, we are waiting to see what the league has to say."

Tensions were already running high after Águilas pitcher Rómulo Sánchez hit Caribes' César Valera with a pitch in the seventh inning, causing benches to clear, though no punches were thrown. The home-plate umpire issued a warning to both teams.

Angel Nesbitt, who pitched for the Tigers in 2015, came on in relief for Caribes in the eighth inning and threw two pitches behind Romero, hitting him with the second offering and sparking another fracas.

Among those ejected after the eighth-inning brawl was the Twins' Willians Astudillo, who was playing first base for Caribes.

According to Amaro, Romero is remorseful for his actions. The 36-year-old is expected to make his own statement.

“Alex is one of the most respected guys in the league. He’s the captain of our team,” Amaro said. “He knows well that what he did in the heat of the moment was wrong and he didn’t think things through. He’s really upset how it all played out. It definitely doesn’t help his reputation, but I know there is support from players for him. He will keep his head up and address it. I hope everyone can put this in the rearview mirror and focus on the game and give the fans the best possible game."