Aftermath of wild game leaves Torre, Kershaw suspended

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, manager Joe Torre and bench coach Bob Schaefer were all suspended Wednesday as a result of incidents in the team’s loss to the San Francisco Giants that caused debate about the rules.

Bob Watson, vice president in charge of discipline, rules and on-field operations for Major League Baseball, announced the discipline, which included undisclosed fines for all three.

Kershaw was handed a five-game suspension for intentionally throwing at Giants center fielder Aaron Rowand in the seventh inning of Tuesday night’s game, which the Dodgers lost 7-5, their sixth straight defeat.

Kershaw has appealed, so he’ll be allowed to play until the process is complete.

“I’m not going to say anything,” he said, smiling.

Torre received a one-game suspension for Kershaw’s actions after plate umpire Adrian Johnson issued a warning to both benches in the fifth inning.

Torre served his suspension Wednesday night in the series finale, with hitting coach Don Mattingly taking over as manager. Torre said he planned to watch the game with general manager Ned Colletti.

“Hopefully, last night was about as bad as it can get,” Torre said.

Schaefer got a one-game suspension for his actions, which included coming onto the field in the sixth inning. He will serve his suspension tonight, when the Dodgers open a four-game series against the New York Mets.

All three were ejected during the game.

Mattingly, who had to take over after the separate ejections of Torre and Schaefer, went to the mound for a ninth-inning chat with All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton before Andres Torres came up. Mattingly took a few steps off the dirt toward the dugout before turning around and advising first baseman James Loney what depth to play.

Rule 8.06 (d) states a manager or coach is considered to have concluded his visit to the mound when he leaves the 18-foot circle surrounding the pitcher’s rubber.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy protested that Mattingly’s about-face constituted a double trip to the mound. The umpires huddled and agreed, and Broxton had to leave the game.

“It’s not the first mistake I’ve made and it’s not going to be the last, but I look at it like it’s the last time I’m making that mistake,” said Mattingly, adding that he didn’t realize he had stepped too far off the mound until Johnson yelled, “No, no, no” at him.

Bochy knew the rule.

“Let’s be honest, it’s kind of a knit-picking rule, but it is a rule that you can’t leave that 18-foot circle and go back,” Bochy said.

Torre said, “It was just a screwup all the way around. We certainly had the right to protest and we didn’t do that and the umpires sort of messed up a little bit, too.”

Torre contended that Broxton should have been allowed to pitch to Torres before leaving, something the veteran manager said he wasn’t clear on until Wednesday.

Bochy agreed with Torre that Broxton should have faced Torres.

“It’s unfortunate, I guess, as far as when you’re trying to interpret the rules and what’s the right thing to do,” he said. “They probably would have (had grounds to protest), and it might have caused everybody to review the rules.”

Reliever George Sherrill came in and was allowed the customary eight warmup pitches, though Torre contended he should have had unlimited warmups.

“The thing that bothered me most is the Sherrill thing only because it’s a dangerous thing when you have a pitcher pitch without being loose,” Torre said.

Mike Port, vice president of umpiring for MLB, told The Associated Press that “a miscommunication” occurred between the umpires and Sherrill about his warmups.

Torre said he called crew chief Tim McClelland after the game to clarify Sherrill’s situation.

“He said he was consumed with some arguing going on with some of the other umpires,” Torre said. “He was paying attention to that and then when it came time to play the game and he says, ‘Are you ready?’ and (Sherrill) says, ‘I guess so.’”

He said Sherrill should have asked Johnson for more time.

“Nobody told George that he had as many as he had,” Torre said. “That’s the umpire’s job, but evidently the umpire behind the plate didn’t know that because he did go out and tell George that there was a warning in place so don’t throw at anybody. In telling him that, he could’ve told him that he had as many (pitches) but evidently he didn’t know that rule because he’s the one that stopped him.”