The Philadelphia Phillies were fired up after Nick Castellanos got drilled by a 96 MPH fastball during Tuesday night’s win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Rays reliever Edwin Uceta hit Castellanos after giving up a home run, two doubles, and a single in the eighth inning of the Phillies’ 9-4 victory. The game was tied 4-4 before Uceta took the mound. The benches cleared immediately, and All-Star Bryce Harper, who was standing on second base after hitting a double, approached Uceta before being pulled away by a Rays player. After the game, Castellanos didn’t hold back, comparing Uceta’s actions to a child’s tantrum. “Yeah, I just told him it was bulls***,” Castellanos said, via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. “You’re throwing a ball over 90 mph because you’re frustrated? That’s like my 2-year-old throwing a fit because I took away his dessert before he finished it.”
Bryce Harper also shared his frustration with the situation, telling reporters he was “really upset” with what happened to Castellanos.
“He [Uceta] didn’t turn around, and I didn’t want to be a coward and come up behind him,” Harper said. “If he turns around, fine, let’s go. But he didn’t, and I didn’t want to be that guy. There’s another word I want to use, but I won’t.”
Despite Uceta claiming he didn’t intentionally hit Castellanos, MLB suspended him for three games and issued a fine.
As for the Phillies, they now hold an eight-game lead over the Mets and Braves in the National League East, with a magic number of 10 to clinch the division for the first time since 2011.