MLB justice for Sunday's Toronto-Kansas City brawl has landed squarely on the Blue Jays.
The commissioner's office announced Tuesday that Toronto reliever Aaron Sanchez has been suspended three games for intentionally throwing at Alcides Escobar in the eighth. In addition, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons drew a one-game ban for returning to the field during the eighth-inning fracas after he had been ejected in the seventh. Sanchez can appeal his suspension; Gibbons cannot.
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Some sort of suspension for Sanchez was considered a given, particularly since the pitch in question came after he was specifically warned by umpire Jim Wolf about retaliation. By the time Sanchez entered the game, Royals starter Edinson Volquez had thrown multiple high-and-tight pitches to Jays slugger Josh Donaldson, hitting him once, and Kansas City reliever had hit prized new Toronto acquisition Troy Tulowitzki in the arm with a pitch.
The hostilities carried over, with players from both sides blasting the other in the media and via their Twitter accounts.
The Royals lost the game, but it looks like they'll get the last laugh when it comes to disciplinary measures.
