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Astros' Fiers suspended 5 games for throwing at Angels' Valbuena

Troy Taormina / Reuters

Major League Baseball announced Thursday it has suspended Houston Astros pitcher Mike Fiers five games for intentionally throwing near the head of Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Valbuena on Wednesday.

He was also fined an undisclosed amount.

Fiers will not appeal the suspension and will miss Thursday's series finale against Los Angeles. He will be eligible to return Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox.

After Valbuena connected on a two-run home run off Fiers to give Los Angeles a 5-0 lead in the first, the Angels third baseman celebrated by adamantly flipping his bat as he skipped down the first-base line, irking Fiers. The Astros pitcher retaliated in Valbuena's next at-bat in the fourth inning, sailing a pitch over his head.

Fiers admitted postgame the wayward pitch wasn't an accident, and he meant to send a message after feeling disrespected by Valbuena's bat flip and celebration.

"What he did to me, I took it as disrespect," Fiers said. "Obviously, I played with Valbuena and I have no hard feeling towards him, but when you do something like that, as disrespectful as he did, you've got to send some kind of message.

"I'm not trying to hit him, but something has to be said."

Valbuena and Fiers were teammates for two seasons in Houston from 2015-16.

The 32-year-old pitcher is posting a 5.22 ERA in 28 starts this season.

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