MIAMI (AP) -Florida Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez served a one-game suspension Friday night for going onto the field during a bench-clearing confrontation one inning after he was ejected.
Florida’s first-year manager was ejected for the first time Thursday for arguing a call. In the next inning, the Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies waged a shoving match near third base, and Gonzalez was back on the field restraining one of his players.
“It’s something I shouldn’t have done, but I’d rather not let the stuff escalate more than it was,” Gonzalez said. “I think Major League Baseball saw that I was more of a peacekeeper and not trying to instigate stuff.”
Gonzalez also was fined.
“The wife is going to be upset,” he said.
Gonzalez served the suspension when the Marlins opened a weekend series against the New York Mets. Bench coach Carlos Tosca took over as interim manager.
Emotions began to escalate Thursday when the Phillies’ Jon Lieber hit Aaron Boone with a pitch in the second inning. Three batters later, Lieber threw a pitch behind Willis.
Willis threw behind Lieber in the fourth inning. The next batter hit an inning-ending groundout, but as Willis walked off the mound he shouted at the Phillies and waved his glove at them.
The teams traded shoves and words, but no one was ejected.
Gonzalez said the suspension was his first as a player or manager.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel scoffed when asked whether there is tension between his team and the Marlins.
“You know what? If there’s bad blood then we shouldn’t be over there kissy-facing before the game and everything like that, high-fiving,” Manuel said before Friday night’s game at Atlanta. “When you put this uniform on you go out there to play. You go out there to win.”
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AP Sports Writer Charles Odum in Atlanta contributed to this report.
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