Yordano Ventura-Adam Eaton exchange leads to bench-clearing

ByDOUG PADILLA
April 23, 2015, 10:52 PM

— -- CHICAGO -- A wild brawl seventh-inning fight between the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals on Thursday started near the first-base foul line, ranged out toward second base and resumed again near the first-base bag, ending with the ejection of five players, including both starting pitchers.

Nerves appeared to be on edge after the White Sox's Jose Abreu was hit in the left elbow by a Yordano Ventura pitch in the fourth inning, and the Royals' Mike Moustakas was hit in the upper right arm by a Chris Sale pitch one inning later. Both benches were warned after Moustakas was hit.

But things didn't get ugly until Adam Eaton hit a comebacker at Ventura in the seventh inning. Television replays appeared to show that Ventura barked an expletive at Eaton before throwing to first base for the out.

Both Eaton and Ventura were quickly restrained by umpires, but once both teams gathered on the infield, punches began flying. Jeff Samardzija lost his footing at one point in the fracas, with a dogpile quickly forming near the first-base bag.

The White Sox saw Sale and Samardzija get tossed, while the Royals lost Ventura,  Lorenzo Cain and Edinson Volquez

When the two teams met at Kansas City to open the season, the Royals came away with an easy three-game sweep. In the process, though, six batters were hit in the series. In Thursday's game, the score was tied 2-2 when the brawl began.

The Royals lead the majors this season with nine players ejected (Ventura has been ejected in his last two starts). The Padres trail in second place with only three players tossed.