Robles ejected for throwing near head of Rupp
Mets manager Collins also tossed after warnings had been issued earlier
PHILADELPHIA -- Mets reliever Hansel Robles was ejected in Wednesday's 7-5 loss after throwing near the head of Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp, an inning after both benches were warned in the wake of multiple hit-by-pitches -- including one that injured Yoenis Cespedes -- at Citizens Bank Park.
The drama began when Phillies reliever Justin De Fratus hit Cespedes in the third inning, bruising his left middle and ring fingers. Cespedes left the game, and two innings later, Adam Loewen hit his replacement, Kirk Nieuwenhuis.
In the fifth, half an inning after the Nieuwenhuis plunking, Mets starter Logan Verrett drilled Odubel Herrera in the back. That prompted home-plate umpire Bob Davidson to warn both benches, which appeared to be the end of things until the sixth. Robles then reignited the situation by throwing a 94-mph fastball near the head of Rupp, who immediately began barking at the Mets reliever. Robles threw the pitch before coming to the set position -- a "quick pitch" that he has used often this season.
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"I was trying to quick pitch but the ball got away from me," Robles said through an interpreter. "I think there's nothing wrong with my quick pitch. It only creates a little bit of an issue with this team. This is the only team that has given me trouble, so I'm going to continue to do it."
Players filtered out from both benches without fighting as Davidson promptly ejected both Robles and Mets manager Terry Collins.
"The only guy who wasn't ready was the umpire, to be honest," Collins said. "When you see the replay, Bob wasn't even in his stance yet. But as I explained to [Robles], you can't miss that bad. It's one thing to miss inside if the catcher's sitting in, but up around the head is something that I certainly didn't understand."
Robles was also in the center of an altercation with the Phillies last month, when he threw a quick pitch to Darin Ruf before Ruf was ready to hit. Phillies bench coach Larry Bowa in particular took exception to that, animatedly gesturing to Daniel Murphy as he yelled from the dugout.
"I didn't see who was first out of their dugout," Collins quipped about Wednesday's altercation. "If it wasn't Bowa, I would have been surprised."