CINCINNATI – The Reds and Cardinals have fought a few times over the years, renewing that part of their rivalry with an extensive fourth-inning bench-clearing fight on Saturday.
Cincinnati led 6-2 when pitcher Jake Woodford hit Nick Castellanos on the shoulder with a fastball. Castellanos showed his displeasure to Woodford and Cardinals-catcher Yadier Molina by picking up the ball and offering it to the pitcher.
Later in the inning with Mike Moustakas hitting, Woodford threw a wild pitch that Castellanos scored from third base with a headfirst slide. Woodford covered the plate when the two got together. Castellanos got up and bent over Woodford, which led to Molina defending his teammate.
That led to both dugouts and bullpens.
The disaster was easing when both teams returned to their side when the donnybrook flared up again in the outfield after Cardinals-reliever Jordan Hicks had pushed Reds shortstop Eugenio Suárez. The participants walked into the grass while Castellanos and Molina continued to talk in the courtyard.
Castellanos was the only player to be removed from the game. He was replaced by Aristides Aquino in the top of the fifth.
On Thursday, Castellanos trotted and turned his bat after hitting an Opening Day homer against the Cards with Cincinnati trailing six points.
The two teams infamously fought in 2010. Molina was right in the middle of it when he and Brandon Phillips exchanged words at home plate for the Reds’ second baseman at bat.