Benches clear in D-backs-Marlins matchup

MIAMI -- The first time Christian Walker was struck by a fastball by the Marlins on Saturday night, in the fourth inning, he slowly took his base. But after being plunked a second time in the D-backs' 9-2 win, by a 98.6-mph Tayron Guerrero fastball in the eighth inning, Walker and the D-backs grew more frustrated.

Walker was hit by a Jordan Yamamoto pitch in his left hand in the fourth and Guerrero got him just below the left elbow. X-rays were negative, but Walker still had quite a bit of swelling in the elbow area, and his status is listed as day to day.

“It’s frustrating,” D-backs shortstop Nick Ahmed said. “You get hit high and inside once, and then you get hit again, especially by 98 [mph], it got him really hard. He’s going to have to, I’m sure, miss a game or two. He’s a big part of our team. We don’t want anybody getting hit like that. If you can’t throw inside with command, don’t throw inside. Figure it out. Once, I guess, is excusable. You don’t want anybody to ever get hit up high like that. But two times, yeah, it kind of pissed us off.”

There was plenty of finger pointing and words exchanged in the eighth inning. Benches and bullpens spilled onto the field, near Guerrero on the mound and around the first-base line. But order was quickly restored without incident.

After Walker was hit, he cursed loudly in anger, but he did not direct any words towards Guerrero.

The D-backs bench, however, did have some things to say.

“It’s the common chirping like, ‘Just get the ball down. Get it on the plate,’” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’re not challenging him to a fight.”

Guerrero, though, didn’t like it and motioned to the D-backs dugout to come onto the field, which they did.

“I mean, guys were rightfully [upset],” Ahmed said. “You don’t need to be pointing at our dugout and yelling at us when you’re the one who threw it up and in.”

Although both teams rushed onto the field, cooler heads prevailed, and play resumed.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly knew his pitchers were not trying to hit Walker, but understood why they were upset.

"I'm 100 percent knowing that [Guerrero] didn't do that on purpose," Mattingly said. "But you also know the other side. You know the frustration when the same guy gets hit twice in the same area. He's frustrated."

Lovullo, too, emphasized that the D-backs did not believe Guerrero intentionally threw at Walker, but he would like Major League Baseball to reprimand Guerrero for gesturing into the dugout.

“For me, the league has got it,” Lovullo said. “They’re very good at dissecting the video and they’ll take it over.”