Few Cincinnati Reds fans are likely to have forgotten the name Jose Siri. It’s a memorable name, isn’t it? Siri spent several seasons in the Reds’ farm system, but the front office eventually grew weary of his frequent strikeouts and inconsistent batting averages, despite his undeniable potential.
The Reds parted ways with Siri some years ago, but he finally made his Major League debut with the Houston Astros in 2021. The power and speed that Siri displayed in the Reds’ organization became evident once he joined Houston. However, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022 and has since become a part-time player under Kevin Cash’s management in Florida.
On Tuesday night, Siri found himself at the center of a benches-clearing brawl against one of the Reds’ division rivals. What started with a Siri home run early in the game culminated in the former Reds prospect being ejected after an altercation with Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Abner Uribe.
The incident escalated after Brewers starter Freddy Peralta was ejected in the sixth inning. Siri’s home run in the third inning, followed by an extended gaze at his towering shot, drew attention from the umpires when Peralta hit him with a pitch in the sixth inning.
While it didn’t seem like Peralta intentionally threw at Siri, the umpires decided to eject Peralta and Brewers manager Pat Murphy. Crew chief Chris Guccione opted for ejections instead of issuing warnings to both benches.
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Then, in the top of the eighth inning, when Uribe faced Siri on the mound, a routine ground ball out led to a confrontation between the Milwaukee reliever and the Tampa Bay outfielder at first base. Tempers flared, and both Uribe and Siri exchanged blows before being separated by their teammates and subsequently ejected.
The two teams are set to meet again in the series finale this afternoon. While Major League Baseball has yet to announce any suspensions, it’s likely that some will be handed down. Despite Siri’s involvement, the Brewers emerged victorious with an 8-2 final score, further solidifying their lead over the Reds in the NL Central standings by 2.5 games.
