Things got tense in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League this week, and Yasiel Puig was caught in the middle of the fray.
In Game 2 of the Winter League Finals on Wednesday night, Tiburones de La Guaira shortstop Michael Garcia hit a game-tying, two-run home run in the eighth inning that went just over the center field wall to put Cardenares de Lara ahead.
And the infielder not only praised the long ball, but also pointed with his chin at Cardenales' dugout as he circled the bases.
That's when things really started to heat up.
Garcia slowly walked the last 60 feet or so to home plate before celebrating with his team.
Carlos Narváez, Cardenales' catcher, seemed to be taking the whole game in stride and seemed to be exchanging words with Tiburones players near the bat.
At that moment, players from both teams met, stood in both batter's boxes, and a long jostling ensued.
After a minute of exchanges, the players Puig and Cardenares appeared to exchange blows in the foul area, and then things turned sour when a ferocious push parade moved a group of players, including Puig, to the backstop. It escalated to another level.
Things got even more chaotic, the players took more hits, and Puig appeared to take a few shots, taking one himself along the way.
After a prolonged scuffle, both teams eventually calmed down and headed to their respective dugouts.
According to the box scoreno one was ejected after the game, but Puig was substituted in as a pinch hitter late in the eighth inning.
This isn't the first time Puig has been at the center of a brawl.
He was in the middle of two big games against the Reds and Pirates in 2019, the second of which came after being traded to Cincinnati minutes earlier.
The former MLB All-Star finished the game with 2 hits and 1 RBI for 4 at bats as the Tiburones team won 12-10 and improved to 2-0 for the seventh straight game.
