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Mets, Nationals brawl

The M men atlanta braves jersey ets were looking to fight just two games into their season Friday night. They had already reached their boiling point after taking one too many shots to the mouthMLB Small Jewelry .

Francisco Lindor caught an 88 mph fastball from Nationals reliever Steve Cishek in his grill after squaring to bunt in the fifth inning. Fortunately for Lindor and the Mets, he turned his head enough for the ball to first glance off his protective MLB Pennants and Flagshelmet flap. He suffered only minor facial and dental damage.

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Lindor was the fourth Mets batter to be hit in the first 14 innings of the season. One night earlier, Pete Alonso was struck in the face by a 95 mph fastball. He, too, escaped serious injury. 

As Lindor was collecting his thoughts in the batter's box, the Mets were running out of the dugout with a purpose toward Cishek. First-year skipper Buck Showalter led the charge. The bullpens soon galloped in for a mound visit.

"It's scary initially," Showalter said, per MLB.com. "Times like that, the fourth one, I don’t really want to hear about intent. When you’re throwing up in there, those things can’t happen." 

Cishek wasn't throwing at Lindor, but umpires ejected him anyway.

"I'd be p—d off, and they're p—d off," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said, per MLB.co atlanta braves jersey chipper jones m. "And I get that. I really do. Both times were Christian Yelichunintentional. Super unintentional. But it did happen."

New York won the game 7-3 and moved to 2-0 on the season.
     
For Mets fans, the anger was an unmistakable — and welcome — contrast to the even-keel approach former manager Luis Rojas tried to foster. The 2021 club didn't get overly worked up when Kevin Pillar took a fastball from the Braves' Jacob Webb squarely in the face. That pitch also was unintentional.

New York committed more than $250 million atlanta braves jersey women riley in the offseason to free-agent veterans who've been through loads of incidents. It gave $130 million alone to right-hander Max George Springer Scherzer, who will bring an edge to any team. He started Friday in his return to Washington, but he didn't retaliate after Lindor was hit. He wisely avoide black atlanta braves jersey d an ejection and suspension.

Still, it seems a safe bet that, after this team-building episode with the manager setting the example, someone on the staff is willing to take time off for responding, even if Showalter may not want that.

And it might not be necessary. Lindor already knows his teammates have his back.

"There's not one guy that I didn't see [come out to support me], and I appreciate that. That, to me, shows unity. . . . I’m super proud to be a New York Met," he said, per MLB.com.

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