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Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli and Boston Red Sox slugger Willson Contreras were each suspended seven games by Major League Baseball Thursday, July 2 for their actions that precipitated a bases-clearing incident in the teams’ June 30 game.
Cavalli struck out Contreras in the bottom of the fourth inning, and as the Boston slugger returned to his dugout, Cavalli shouted, “Sit down, boy!” at Contreras. Contreras, already an emotional player who admittedly was even moreso after an earthquake devastated his home country of Venezuela, stopped in his tracks and asked if Cavalli said something.
The two began to jaw and Contreras approached the mound, at one point tossing his helmet in Cavalli’s direction. Cavalli remained in the game, much to the chagrin of Boston interim manager Chad Tracy, while Contreras, Tracy and Red Sox reserve Nate Eaton were ejected. Washington pitcher Miles Mikolas, who pitched Monday, was also ejected.
Mikolas was suspended five games and Eaton received a three-game suspension. All four players are appealing their suspensions.
“I felt as though the comment made, ‘Sit down, boy,’ at the top of (Cavalli’s) lungs was part of what caused that to happen,” says Tracy, who said he was ejected for protesting that Cavalli wasn’t ejected. “I just felt like the other pitcher should have been one of them too. That was my biggest complaint there: ‘Why is he still in the game?’ That was my take on it.”
Contreras was taken aback by Cavalli’s remark, yet was unsure if there were racial overtones.
“I think it was more like the fact that he yelled whatever he said,” says Contreras, 34, of the 27-year-old Cavalli. “Because, prior to that, I was talking to [Nationals catcher] Keibert Ruiz, you can go ask him, about how good Cavalli is. I was like, ‘He has good stuff,’ and then he struck me out on a good pitch. I was walking back to the dugout, then he did what he did. The rest of it was history.”
As for any further intent, Contreras said: “To be honest, I don’t know. I’m Venezuelan. I don’t know if he’s racist or not. I’ll let MLB handle that.”
Cavalli told reporters: “I don’t know, I just lose my head in it. I mean, I’m competitive. I just told him to sit down, and then he asked if I was talking to him. I was just standing there, I said, ‘You heard me.’ It’s really not a big deal. So that’s it.”
Cavalli and Contreras crossed paths after an earlier at-bat, with Cavalli noting that Contreras appeared to get in his way after he was walking off the mound. Contreras denied any intent.
A day later, Cavalli expressed remorse for his comments; Nationals GM Paul Toboni said July 1, “I think now he understands it.”
The Red Sox play Friday, July 3 at the Los Angeles Angels while the Nationals host the Pittsburgh Pirates.
