Postgame reaction: Carlos Gomez blames Travis Snider for brawl

Okay, lots of postgame reaction from both clubhouses.

Clint Hurdle

On the rumble:

Having been in the game almost 40 years, when these things happen, not everything gets seen initially.

On Gerrit Cole's start:

I liked it a lot. Who wouldn't have liked what he did out there today, just a professional job. The fastball, as we talked before the game, in and out throughout. The breaking ball, slider, the curveball, slider was mixed very well.

Russell Martin:

On the fight and what appears to be a reference to Martin Maldonado:

Most of the time an action has a polar opposite reaction. Gomez stands watching it a little bit, it doesn't go out. Gerrit's probably pissed off he didn't make a great pitch, probably pissed off because Gomez watched it. He says his piece to kind of get that out of his system. Gomez doesn't like that, he reacts, sparks fly and things kind of just spiral out of control. They're just natural human things that happen. The one thing that I don't respect is sucker-punching. That's all I've gotta say, that's all I'm gonna say. If I cross the street I'm definitely not going to say hi to the guy.

Gerrit Cole

What he said to Carlos Gomez:

I grabbed the ball from J-Hay and I said, "If you're going to hit a home run, watch it. If you're going to hit a fly ball to center field, don't watch it." I didn't curse at him, I did't try to provoke a fight. I was frustrated and I let my emotions get the better of me and I ended up getting one of my teammates hurt so I'm not too thrilled about it.

What Gomez said back to Cole:

He just stood up and said, "What, what did you say." By the time I was done, by the time I had left [third base coach Ed] Sedar had me, grabbed me by the jersey and pushed me away and Harrison had Gomez and that was kind of it from my perspective, after I turned around I had to turn back around again to see what was going on. There was some other jawing going on between some of the other guys and I don't really recall it...He didn't say much to me, I didn't say much to him. We just kind of exchanged words and at that point I thought it was over with.

On his start:

Moving the fastball, fastball location, Chris and I were on the same page, just trying to put the ball on the ground, moving it inside-outside, there was really nothing special to it. We just executed a handful of pitches when we needed to, to get some double plays. Then the fastball creeped over the plate to [Mark] Reynolds and he did a good job.

Ron Roenicke

On the Gomez and Cole situation:

It's too hard for me to see when I'm in the dugout to see exactly what happened. I know Cole said something first. So, you know, Gomey is going to respond. Anytime a pitcher says something to a guy, the guy is going to respond. And the next I know a guy is flying out there (from the Pirates' dugout), going after Gomey and I really don't know what happened after that.

Did you feel Cole should have been tossed, as well?

Yeah, they told me what he said, and I said ‘he's the one who started it all.' If you start it, we're going to respond. Gomey's not just going to sit there and not say anything.

Is there bad blood between these two teams?

Well there can be, but I don't think there is anything else between us. There is some stuff with other teams maybe, but not anything with Pittsburgh, at least that I know of.

Carlos Gomez

(While we were interviewing Gomez, the Brewers congregated around the TV for highlights of the fight on the MLB Network. At some point, I assume Maldonado's punch, the team let out boisterous cheer with a lot of players yelling "BOOM!", then laughter and backslapping.)

What did Cole say?

He just say something that I don't like. I don't think he's the one to tell me what I have to do because I don't tell him what he need to do to pitch. But, nothing happen there. He tell me, I tell him, I talk to umpire, everything is normal. And, then, Snider come like a superhero trying to throw punches at everybody. So, I just have to protect myself.

After Atlanta, you apologized. Why not today?

After that game I know that I went over [the line], you know. And out of respect [I apologized]. But today I'm not. First of all, I hit a triple, not a double. I'm not flipping my bat because I think it's going to be a home run. I thought it was an out. A fly ball out. Line drive, center field. I'm kind of like, "Ugh," I made good contact but it is going to be an out. It's not because I thought I hit a home run.

Then I get to third base and somebody is screaming at me. (Then) Snider comes real angry, I respond back, he tries to punch me, everything started there.

On his bat flips:

I've been doing this for eight years. They know that I do that. It's not that I don't respect nobody. So, if they take it like that, if they don't like it, it's fine, and I'm fine with it. It's not a big deal.

Did Snider throw the first punch?

He came to me, screaming at me. He's the one, Snider, who started it. Cole he told me something, I talk back, he walked to the mound and everything is fine. And the game continue normal. But some guy, idiot, come out and do stupid stuff.

Any history of confrontations with Snider?

I never had a confrontation with him, and I don't think he wants that.

Martin Maldonado

I see two guys holding Gomez so I try to protect him. Snider and Martin over Gomez, so it wasn't fair. I tried to protect my teammate. It's a part of baseball you know, that you have to be responsible for whatever happens.

Notes:

- Jason Grilli: in 2013 pre-injury, hitters batted: .186/.240/.288 .528 OPS; Since: .300/.382/.466 .848 OPS

- Pirates' pitchers have allowed 26 home runs, tied with the Diamondbacks for the most in the MLB. Braves pitchers have allowed eight.

- Gerrit Cole's game score for today's game was, 71. That is the third gem thrown by Pirates' starters this season, but the first since April 2nd. (Bill James calls a game score over 65 a Gem.)

- I have to miss tomorrow night's game because of work, but we'll return with coverage from PNC Park Tuesday night.