Dinamica surgiu entre Philadelphia Phillies e Tampa Bay Rays depois que Nick Castellanos foi atingido por arremesso.
In the midst of the game being level at the beginning of the eighth, Uceta seemingly had an explosion, granting five runs, seemingly channeling his anger towards the Phillies' right fielder.
As narrated by MLB.com following the game, Castellanos shared, "I had a feeling I was about to get hit." He then voiced his frustration at Uceta, remarking, "It's just ridiculous. You're pitching at over 90 mph, and when you're aggravated, you throw at someone? It's like my toddler throwing a tantrum because I took away his dessert before he finished."
Home-plate umpire John Libka intervened to separate Castellanos and Uceta, yet the situation rapidly escalated, leading both teams to leave their benches, with Bryce Harper making a beeline towards the mound.
Fortunately, tensions subsided without any significant physical altercation, despite Uceta's ejection. Harper continued to express his displeasure post-game. "It's not part of the game," he stated, as reported by MLB.com. "It shouldn't be. Guys pitch way too hard these days. You get angry because someone hits a home run off you or you give up the lead, walk someone, and leave the game?"
Harper himself experienced a similar situation just last week during a game against Toronto Blue Jays, when he was struck by a pitch in the top of the first, forcing him to leave the game.
Uceta, via a team interpreter, acknowledged his mistake and expressed his lack of intention. "I wasn't trying to do it on purpose," he confessed. "There was a lot happening, so I was just focusing on Castellanos. I didn't mean to do it on purpose, but I understand why they were angry. I've never been in a situation like that before."
Rays manager Kevin Cash acknowledged Uceta's inexperience in such situations, stating, "It seemed like he wasn't used to being in that situation. He's a good kid, probably lost his temper a little." Cash further mentioned he would speak with Uceta and "a bunch of young players."
The Castellanos-Uceta incident overshadowed a significant milestone that day for the Phillies' Kyle Schwarber, who shattered MLB's all-time single-season record for leadoff home runs, reaching a total of 14.
Jose Caballero's RBI single levelled the game in the top of the second, before both teams added runs in the second and third innings. Trea Turner's two-run homer in the bottom of the third initially gave the Phillies the edge, but the Rays fought back to draw level at 4-4 by the seventh inning.
However, the Philly side then launched a tremendous offensive spree in the bottom of the eighth, leaving Uceta seemingly helpless. Marsh and Kody Clemens scored, followed by Stevenson, before Kennedy's single completed a double hit for Stevenson. A second two-run home run from Turner sealed the deal, leaving Uceta, whose ERA had gone up dramatically from 0.75 to 1.49 in a matter of minutes, to target Castellanos in his frustration.
Despite the heated incident, the sport continued, with the Philadelphia Phillies continuing their offensive spree in the eighth inning. The passion for winning and competing in sports often leads to intense moments between players.
