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Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees exchange words after the Rays' 5-3 loss to the Yankees in a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, at Yankee Stadium in New York. Both teams' benches received warnings from the umpires after Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman threw near the head of pinch-hitter Michael Brosseau during the ninth inning. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees exchange words after the Rays' 5-3 loss to the Yankees in a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, at Yankee Stadium in New York. Both teams' benches received warnings from the umpires after Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman threw near the head of pinch-hitter Michael Brosseau during the ninth inning. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Yankees' Aroldis Chapman's Suspension for Throwing at Mike Brosseau Reduced

Jenna Ciccotelli
Nov 19, 2020

Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman had his three-game suspension for throwing at the head of Tampa Bay Rays infielder Mike Brosseau reduced to two games following a hearing on Thursday, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.ย ย 

Chapman's pitch during the Yankees' 5-3 victory on Sept. 1 resulted in the benches clearing, and the managers of both teamsย served one-game suspensions.ย 

In September,ย Heymanย reported that the hearing was pushed to next year do to "an issue involving the availability of witnesses," and at the time,ย Pete Calderaย of NorthJersey.com shared comments from Yankees manager Aaron Boone that an earlier hearing left out "certain people."ย 

Chapman's pitch toward Brosseau was the tipping point of a high-intensity game between the two AL East rivals, after Masahiro Tanaka, who started for New York, hit Tampa Bay's Joey Wendle. Rays manager Kevin Cash was suspended for his postgame comments, when he called for accountability and seemed to threaten revenge.

''It's absolutely ridiculous," Cash toldย reportersย after the loss. "It was mishandled by the Yankees. Certainly the pitcher on the mound. It was mishandled by the umpires.ย Somebody has to be accountable. The last thing I'll say on it is I got a whole damn stable full of guys that throw 98 mph. Period.''

The incident took place near the end of the season, as the Yankees chased the first-place Rays. They failed to catch them, ending the season seven games back from the 40-20 Rays and concluding their campaign at 33-27. But that wouldn't be their last test against Tampa Bay.

When the teams met again during the ALDS, they pushed it to five games, and Brosseau got the last word. With Chapman on the mound and the game tied 1-1 in the eighth inning, Brosseauย homeredย to end a 10-pitch at-bat and score the game- and series-winning run.

The Rays went on to fall to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, but the most electric moment of the postseason came in the poetic ending to Game 5.ย 

Alonso's Angry Bat Toss ๐Ÿ˜ก