Due to “the actions of his club during the benches-clearing incident and excessive arguing during the bottom of the fourth inning,” Major League Baseball on Monday announced that Reds manager David Bell would miss one game and pay an undisclosed punishment.

When the Reds play the Cardinals on Monday night, he will serve out his suspension.

The Reds and Cubs incident on Saturday, which happened during the second game of a doubleheader at Great American Ball Park, is the reason for the punishment. The fine for Bell and other players was revealed on Monday by Chris Young, senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball.

In addition, Cubs head coach Mike Borzello was fined an unknown amount and suspended for one game for “repeatedly arguing, using foul language, and neglecting to leave the dugout” during the 6-5 defeat of Chicago.
Jesse Winker of the Reds was suspended for one game and fined an amount not specified for “leaving the bench, contributing to the incitement of the fourth-inning incident and excessive arguing.” Winker is able to challenge the ruling on appeal.

Last but not least, Joey Votto of the Reds received an undisclosed fine for “leaving the bench and contributing to the incitement of the fourth-inning incident.”

When the benches cleared late on Saturday, both managers in a game were ejected, marking a first for the 2020 MLB season. First, in the top of the fourth inning, Reds pitcher Tejay Antone threw a fastball over the head of Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, leading to the dismissal of Chicago’s David Ross. After hitting two home runs in the Cubs’ 3-0 victory in Game

“That’s not a slip,” Ross declared following the Reds’ 6-5 victory in Game 2. “That wasn’t a mistake. It’s not a grab-some-rosin-slip situation. That was done on purpose. Regarding it, I have no doubts.”
According to Antone, the pitch slipped away.

“A lot of people are saying it was intentional,” he stated. “It wasn’t. I was attempting to fastball him up and inside.”

Compared to his manager, Rizzo was not as confrontational in his remarks. Although he deemed the pitch “scary,” he was prepared to extend an olive branch to Antone.

“I don’t think any pitcher would purposely throw at someone’s head,” Rizzo said. “I believe there was the intention to enter. It was horrible. Kind of like life flew by.

eyes in that location.”

Plate umpire Nic Lentz then issued a warning to both teams, which resulted in Ross’s dismissal. After Rizzo eventually walked, Cubs reliever Adbert Alzolay hit a high fastball close to Reds center fielder Shogo Akiyama in the following inning. Bell emerged to dispute as Rizzo addressed the Reds dugout.

“At that point, a couple of our players jumped over the railing and the umpire started throwing everyone out of the game,” Bell explained.

Bell, Votto and Winker were all tossed as both teams’ benches and bullpens gathered near first base. Order was soon restored without any punches being thrown, and Antone said things actually began to escalate after the Cubs chirped at him for grunting after striking a couple of players out.

“After the [second] inning, I gave them another grunt,” Antone said. “Just part of the game. They were chirping at me, so I gave them a grunt back and let them know I’m here to strike them out.”

The Cubs tend to make more noise in their dugout than most teams, and without fans in the stands, not much goes unheard. Antone was asked if they “chirp” the most.

“One hundred percent,” he said. “They chirp the most, for sure. When they’re down, they get quieter.”

Bell was adamant that his pitcher wasn’t throwing at Rizzo.

“The other team can take it any way they want,” Bell said. “I know there is absolutely no way we’d throw at anyone, certainly not at anyone’s head.”

Both teams chalked a lot of the back and forth up to the fact that so much can be heard from one dugout to the other. It can make for an intense situation between division rivals playing a doubleheader.

“It’s such a unique environment that we’re in, where you can hear everything,” Ross said. “Guys are yelling a lot of different things at a lot of different people.”