The fights seemed more at home inside an octagon than a diamond.
Baseball was more take me out to the brawl game than ballgame last week, with a pair of bench-clearing melees that had players swinging, striking and settling scores as violently as a pair of MMA fighters.
No cage could contain the clashes the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, and a National League dustup between the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies.
UFC lightweight contender Kevin Lee knows a good fight when he sees one. Lee has a Cy Young-worthy 16-3 record and will fight Edson Barboza in the main event of UFC Fight Night 128 on Saturday in Atlantic City, N.J.
The 25-year-old Lee never played baseball and sure doesn't watch the MLB Network during downtime from his training.
"It's boring as all hell," he said, laughing.
But even he couldn't escape the hostility that took place Wednesday in Colorado and Boston.
"Two big ones," he said. "I love it."
Lee offered some tips for baseball's fighters.
The Rockies were wild -- accidentally or intentionally -- and hit San Diego's Manuel Margot in the ribs (he went on the disabled list) in the ninth inning of one game and plunked Hunter Renfroe on Wednesday. That marked five Padres batters hit in six games against the Rockies this season.
The Padres had enough. Luis Perdomo threw a pitch behind Nolan Arenado and the All-Star rushed the mound, setting off a brawl that led to five ejections.
"He slammed his bat down and kind of ... came at him," Lee said. "You could see he was loading up the right hand. It's so easy to see coming. It's always easier to be on defense than offense."
Perdomo threw his glove at the bull-rushing Arenado and scampered away from the mound. Arenado connected with a glancing blow over Perdomo's head.
"As the pitcher, you've got to sit there and let the man come to you," Lee said. "A lot of those guys are angry. Anger clouds the mind and brings emotion into the fight game. You make stupid mistakes. I'd let him come to me and do something stupid."
Lee said Perdomo should have stood his ground.
"They're gonna break you up within 30 seconds," Lee said. "Just a few good punches. I'd grab a hold of him. That's the rule in any crowd situation. Just grab a hold of somebody and let him have it."
The Red Sox-Yankees skirmish started on a slide. The Red Sox were upset with Tyler Austin after he slid late into second in the third inning and his spikes caught Red Sox second baseman Brock Holt.
"You just don't get no cred for that from me. It's like using a weapon," Lee said of the spikes. "What are we doing here?"
Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly later threw at Austin twice. The first pitch missed, but the second one drilled him in the back. The designated hitter charged the mound, prompting both benches to empty.
"This is Grade A coaching right here," Lee said, laughing. "Baseball players get paid a lot of money. They need to holler at me in Vegas."
He said it
From Dwight Perry of The Seattle Times:
• "Wisconsin canceled its spring football game after weather forecasts called for heavy rain and thunderstorms. Rumor has it the Badgers plan to make it up next year with a day-night doubleheader."
• "Patrick Reed has been spotted seemingly everywhere since winning the Masters, still wearing his green jacket. The movie theater stop proved a bit awkward, however, when patrons wouldn't stop handing him their tickets."
• "Reports of a tiger walking around New York City turned out to be merely a large raccoon. In other words, the animal-kingdom equivalent of preseason Yankee hype."
SPORTS TRIVIA
Joe Kelly was acquired by the Boston Red Sox from the St. Louis Cardinals in a trade for which major-league player?
ANSWER
John Lackey
Sports on 04/16/2018