Runelvys Hernandez won his seventh game of the season on Sunday, but any chance of completing what seemed to be a dominant performance was cut short when he was ejected in the sixth inning in a 5-0 win over the Tigers.
Both teams were warned after Tigers starter Mike Maroth hit Royals centerfielder David DeJesus with a pitch in the second inning. Earlier in the inning third baseman Mark Teahen launched his third homer of the season to give the Royals a 3-0 lead. In the first Mike Sweeney got Kansas City on the board with a two-run home run—his 13th of the year. Terrence Long drove in a run with a single in the first.
With the the Royals leading 4-0 in the sixth inning, Hernandez threw a pitch low and inside with Carlos Guillen at the plate. Guillen thought the pitch was intentional and complained to plate umpire Marty Foster. Tigers’ manager Alan Trammell also came onto the field to talk to Foster.
After the dust settled, Hernandez’s next pitch hit Guillen in the head. After Guillen yelled at Hernandez, the two players rushed towards one another and the benches cleared. Both benches emptied onto the field.
The two players were broken up and any further physical altercation seemed to be avoided until Tiger reliever Kyle Farnsworth picked up Royals reliever Jeremy Affeltd and threw him to the ground.
In all there were seven ejections in the game. Hernandez, Emil Brown, Alberto Castillo and manager Buddy Bell were tossed for the Royals. For the Tigers, Guillen, Farnsworth and Jeremy Bonderman were sent to the locker room.
Leo Nunez and Affeldt filled in over the next three innings and allowed just one hit between them. Reliever Mike MacDougal gave up three hits and loaded the bases in the ninth, before getting Pudge Rodriguez to ground into a game-ending double play.
Hernandez (7-9) was still credited with the win. After the game he said he did not intentionally throw at Guillen.
The win snapped a two-game skid, as Kansas City took two-of-four in Detroit.
