NEW YORK — Mike Brosseau got some payback against the New York Yankees.
One night after Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman threw a 101 mph fastball over his head, setting off events that eventually led both benches to empty in the ninth, Brousseau hit two home runs as the Tampa Bay Rays topped their American League East rivals again with a 5-2 victory Wednesday night.
The first-place Rays ended the season series with an 8-2 edge.
“No revenge,” said Brosseau, who posted his second career multihomer game. “We put everything behind us. We came today to play ball and to win a series and finish on a high note [in the] regular season against these guys.”
Chapman was handed a three-game suspension by Major League Baseball that he’s appealing. New York manager Aaron Boone and Tampa Bay counterpart Kevin Cash both received a one-game ban and served it Wednesday night.
Brosseau capped Tampa Bay’s four-run first inning against Jordan Montgomery (2-2) when he hit a 2-2 curve an estimated 420 feet into the visitors’ bullpen beyond the left-center fence. Brosseau made it 5-0 in the fifth by hitting an 0-1 fastball into the Yankees’ bullpen in right-center.
“It was emotional,” said Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro, who served as acting manager for Cash. “A lot of us had tears in our eyes, a special moment for him we’ll never forget. Just goes to show the willpower that that guy has to move on, to put it behind him and play his game.”
Brosseau had three hits and batted .500 (7-for-14) with three homers and seven RBIs against the Yankees this season.
There was no retaliation by the Rays a night after Cash seemed to threaten the Yankees in the wake of Chapman’s pitch by saying: “And the last thing I’ll say on this is I got a whole damn stable full of guys that throw 98 mph. Period.”
The only hit batter was the Rays’ Hunter Renfroe, who was plunked in the leg in the fifth inning by a 95 mph fastball from Yankees reliever Ben Heller, who was promptly tossed by first base umpire Chad Fairchild.
Heller tried to plead his case and so did acting New York manager Carlos Mendoza before Luis Cessa came on to pitch.
Tensions have run high between the teams in recent years, at least since now-retired Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia was ejected for plunking Jesus Sucre in 2018.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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