Mets and Cardinals brawl, a breakdown

May 2, 2022 2.0M views 6:36

What Happened

On May 1, 2022, the Mets and Cardinals brawled at Citi Field after another round of hit batsmen in a season where New York was getting plunked at a historic clip. Pete Alonso and J.D. Davis both took painful shots, and the next inning a high-and-inside pitch to Nolan Arenado set him off, sparking benches and bullpens clearing. The pile centered on Alonso, who got yanked out from behind by Cardinals first base coach Stubby Clapp and pitcher Genesis Cabrera, who ripped his jersey. Both Arenado and Clapp were ejected, and Alonso later complained that getting pulled from behind was a cheap move.

Why This Matters

The 2022 Mets turned getting hit into a defining trait, leading the majors after adding Starling Marte and Mark Canha, two guys who crowd the plate and wear pitches. That made every brushback feel like a flashpoint. Several of the HBPs caught players in the head, including Alonso twice, which raises the stakes well past the usual chirping. The flashpoint here wasn't even a hit batter, just a high inside pitch to Arenado, who clearly expected retaliation and welcomed the fight. The aftermath was relatively tame as brawls go, with Arenado and first base coach Stubby Clapp tossed and no major suspensions for the headliners. For the Mets it fed an early-season us-against-the-league identity that carried them to 101 wins and an NL East title race with Atlanta.

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Key Moments

Who / What Is Involved

Players: Pete Alonso. Teams: Mets, Cardinals.

Key Terms Mentioned

Full Transcript

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the new york mets get hit by a ton of

pitches they lead the league in getting

hit by pitches it's who they are it's

their identity only they don't like it

at all this breakdown is brought to you