Padres' Ron Marinaccio, Craig Stammen Suspended by MLB After Gunnar Henderson HBP in Orioles Game
Multiple members of the San Diego Padres are facing suspensions following Saturday's 9-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported pitcher Ron Marinaccio was suspended three games but will appeal, while manager Craig Stammen was suspended for one game. Stammen will serve that suspension for Monday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals with Randy Knorr taking over in an interim role.
The suspensions come after Marinaccio hit Gunnar Henderson with a pitch in the ninth inning of Saturday's contest. The pitcher was ejected, while Stammen was also ejected after coming out of the dugout to argue.
Depth could be something of an issue in the bullpen in the immediate future depending on Marinaccio's appeal, as Acee reported the Padres also placed Mason Miller on the bereavement/family medical leave list
Jake Rill of MLB.com explained the Orioles hit Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts in the head with a pitch earlier in the game. Bogaerts exited the contest in the inning after he was hit.
What's more, San Diego threw inside on Henderson with multiple pitches during his previous at-bat.
"They had their two opportunities in my previous at-bat and missed, so I thought that should have been the end of it," Henderson said. "We hit somebody of theirs, and obviously weren't trying to, but it is what it is. You had your opportunity to get it back, and they did and missed. So that should have been it."
From San Diego's perspective, Stammen explained it wasn't on purpose and was instead a strategy to pitch to Henderson, who hit a home run earlier in the series.
"We need to pitch [Henderson] inside. If he gets extended, he's going to do what he did yesterday," the manager said. "That's part of pitching, is to be able to pitch inside. Pitch between the plate and the body, and it hit him. I don't know why they tossed [Marinaccio]. I guess maybe because Bogaerts got hit. But it's frustrating that they would make a decision that quick."
San Diego ended up winning two of the three games in the series, which was the first of three straight series on the road for the National League West team. After a three-game set against the Cardinals, the Padres will travel to face the Texas Rangers.
As for the Orioles, they are just 3-6 in the last nine games after dropping the series to the Padres.
The two teams will not face each other again this season unless they each reach the World Series, which seems unlikely considering Baltimore is 34-39 and in fourth place in the American League East.
