Pirates' Archer suspended 5 games for role in brawl, Reds' Puig gets 2

Major League Baseball suspended outfielder Yasiel Puig two games Tuesday for his role in Sunday's bench-clearing brawl between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pirates starter Chris Archer, whose errant throw sparked the fourth-inning fracas, received a five-game ban. The league ruled that the 30-year-old intentionally threw at Reds utility man Derek Dietrich during the at-bat.

After Archer threw behind Dietrich in apparent retaliation for the first baseman's home run earlier in the game, home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg issued warnings to both dugouts. Cincinnati manager David Bell stormed the field to argue the ruling, and both teams' dugouts and bullpens soon followed. Bell earned a one-game suspension.

Both Puig and Bell will begin serving their respective suspensions Tuesday, forgoing their right to appeal. It is unclear whether Archer will do the same.

When asked about the suspensions, Puig revealed he thinks the Pirates right-hander got off lightly.

"All the time we’re going to be suspended, or fined or things like that, more than pitchers," Puig told Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "The pitcher is going to be suspended five days, that’s not costing him nothing because no matter what, he’s going to rest for five days. It costs me two games and I can’t help my team to win these games."

Each suspended party also received an undisclosed fine from the league office.

Puig quickly became the center of attention in the conflict and needed to be restrained by teammate Joey Votto and Pittsburgh outfielder Melky Cabrera. The fray seemed to quiet down quickly, but Puig broke away from Votto, wrestled with Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart to make his way back to the crowd, and collided with Pirates bench coach Tom Prince.

Bell, Puig, and Amir Garrett were all ejected, along with Pirates relievers Keone Kela and Felipe Vazquez.