Dodgers star Zach Greinke may be one of the quietest guys in baseball (he has an admitted anxiety issue), but he was in the middle of a raucous rumble on Thursday night when one of his pitches hit the Padres Carlos Quentin leading Quentin to charge that mound. And it all led to a broken collarbone for Greinke.
SAN DIEGO, CA - APRIL 11: Carlos Quentin #18 of the San Diego Padres slams into Zack Greinke #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers as he charges the mound during the sixth inning at Petco Park on April 11, 2013 in San Diego, California. Credit: Getty Images
It happened in the 6th inning of a tight ballgame. The Padres were winning 2-1 and the count was full with Quentin at the plate. The next pitch got away from Greinke. It seems his mouth did, too.
As Quentin stared down Greinke, Yahoo says Greinke had a few words: "We'll see, bitch."
Quentin wasn't having any of it, and teed off on Greinke. As Quentin approached, Greinke lowered his left, non-throwing shoulder and took the hit. A scuffle ensued with the benches clearing. Once the dust settled though -- and after another spill-over brawl that led to Matt Kemp's ejection which later led to an after-game confrontation in the tunnel -- Greinke complained of pain. Later tests revealed a fracture.
Here's how it looked in pictures:
And the video:
According to ESPN, Quentin has a knack for getting hit:
Quentin led the majors in hit by pitches in both 2011 (23) and 2012 (17). He's been hit 116 times in his career (seventh-most among active players), and he left Tuesday night's game against the Dodgers after being hit on the right wrist with a pitch.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly was furious with Quentin after the game, and put the full blame on the Padres player. Mattingly said that it was absurd to think that in such a close game Greinke was actually trying to hit Quentin.
"That's just stupid is what it is," Mattingly said. "He should not play a game until Greinke can pitch. If he plays before Greinke pitches, something's wrong. He caused the whole thing. Nothing happens if he goes to first base."
As for Greinke, he agreed it wasn't intentional.
"I never hit him on purpose," Greinke, with his left arm in a sling after the game, said. "I never thought about hitting him on purpose. He always seems to think that I'm hitting him on purpose, but that's not the case. That's all I can really say about it."
The two players do have a history. Greinke has hit Quentin three times before, the last time coming in 2009.
Los Angeles went on to win the game 3-2. It's unclear how long Greinke will be out and how long Quentin will be suspended. Both players were ejected from the game.
