MLB suspends Buck Showalter one game for Mets’ ‘intentionally throwing’ at Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber

Kyle Schwarber said he couldn’t be certain that the New York Mets were trying to hit him with back-to-back low, inside fastballs in the ninth inning Sunday night. Phillies manager Joe Girardi was sure that they were.

Major League Baseball agreed with Girardi.

Mets manager Buck Showalter was suspended for Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves and fined an undisclosed amount for what MLB termed “intentionally throwing” at Schwarber, who hit two home runs earlier in the Phillies’ 10-6 loss in New York.

MLB also suspended Mets reliever Yoan López for three games. He was optioned to triple A after the game and will serve the penalty when he’s recalled to the majors.

The Mets were hit by 20 pitches through 23 games, more than any team in baseball, and have been involved in benches-clearing dustups in Washington and St. Louis. López touched off the brawl in St. Louis by brushing back Nolan Arenado.

Showalter appeared unhappy in the eighth inning Sunday night when star shortstop Francisco Lindor got hit by a pitch from Phillies reliever Cristopher Sánchez.

Home-plate umpire Jerry Meals warned both benches after López’s second inside pitch to Schwarber. After the game, Showalter said López was trying to pitch inside to Schwarber because the Mets “didn’t have much success pitching Schwarber out over the plate.”

“We’re just trying to figure out a way to pitch a guy,” Showalter said of Schwarber, who also homered against the Mets on Saturday night. “He’s hit everything we’ve thrown up there.”

Girardi didn’t buy that explanation.

“I think they were trying to hit him,” he said. “But that’s part of the game. We didn’t try to hit Lindor. We didn’t try to hit anyone there. But I understand. You get hit a few times, you start to take exception.”

Two batters after retiring Schwarber, López hit Alec Bohm with a changeup. The Phillies didn’t believe it was on purpose. Neither did Meals, who didn’t eject López from the game despite the previous warning.

The Phillies and Mets open a four-game series Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Schwarber, for his part, didn’t express frustration over the way he was pitched by López.

“I don’t really give two craps,” Schwarber said. “He was keeping it down, so I don’t know. He could have been missing just down and in. It’s the same dude in St. Louis. But I’m not here to say he was trying to hit me, and I’m not here to say he wasn’t trying to hit me. I don’t know. All I know is he got me out.”

The Phillies were idle Monday. They open a two-game series Tuesday night at home against the Texas Rangers. Ranger Suárez (2-0, 4.42 ERA) will face Rangers right-hander Jon Gray (0-1, 7.00).