Hector Neris Suspended Three Games for Plunking David Freese
Hector Neris blew his second straight save opportunity on Tuesday night when he surrendered a go-ahead three-run homer to Dodgers pinch-hitter Matt Beaty.
Two pitches later, Neris uncorked a 95 mph fastball up and in at David Freese. He was promptly ejected by home plate umpire Chris Conroy. Manager Gabe Kapler came out to argue on his behalf, to no avail, and was also subsequently tossed.
Here’s a funny breakdown of the sequence:
Gabe Kapler gets ejected again after his pitcher throws at a batter after giving up the go-ahead home run, a breakdown pic.twitter.com/1lswIMgaRN
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) July 17, 2019
Maybe the pitch got away from Neris, maybe it didn’t. It looked intentional to me, but it doesn’t matter what I think because Major League Baseball thinks it was a purpose pitch – one that will cost Neris three games.
The Phillies’ closer, who Kapler called the team’s “best option” during his pregame availability this afternoon, has a 4.08 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 39.2 IP this season but has struggled in July. In six appearances, he has a 9.53 ERA with a 1.765 WHIP.
Neris will appeal his suspension and is available to pitch tonight.