ESPN.com - Minor League Baseball - Alcantara suspended 6 games for starting brawl

 
Wednesday, July 4
Updated: July 5, 5:18 PM ET
Alcantara suspended 6 games for starting brawl



PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Pawtucket Red Sox outfielder Izzy Alcantara has been suspended for six games for his part in a bench-clearing brawl in a game against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons earlier this week.

Alcantara, the International League leader in batting and home runs, became enraged during a game in Pawtucket on Tuesday after Red Barons pitcher Blas Cedeno brushed him back with an inside pitch.

Alcantara karate-kicked Red Barons catcher Jeremy Salazar in his facemask and then rushed the mound. He missed with one swing at Cedeno before being tackled by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre third baseman Kevin Orie.

"The Pawtucket Red Sox do not condone this type of behavior in any way and we do support the action taken by the league in this matter," the team said in a statement.

The teams have some history of bad blood. In a first meeting on May 1 in Scranton, Alcantara was plunked in the shoulder by Scranton pitcher Pete Zamora after hitting two homers off another pitcher.

On Monday, Alcantara connected off Zamora and celebrated his shot with a slow trot around the bases.

Boston Red Sox spokesman Kevin Shea said the league's suspension was appropriate but wouldn't affect Alcantara's prospects with the team.

"With the history that led up to this, incidents like this do happen," Shea said. "I'm sure he regrets it happened to himself. But his performance on the field speaks for itself."

Red Sox pitcher Jesus Pena was suspended for three games, and Orie will be out three games and Cedeno was hit with a one-game suspension.

The players were each hit with fines, but the league would not disclose the amounts.

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 Pawtucket's Izzy Alcantara kicks catcher Jeremy Salazar, which starts a bench-clearing brawl (Courtesy: WJAR-Providence).
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