Canada bounced back from their Mercy Rule loss to Italy with a 10-3 win over Mexico Saturday, but chances are nobody's going to be talking about the actual game. Instead, the most memorable moment from the virtual elimination game is going to be one of the worst benches-clearing brawls in recent memory:
The Canadians took a 9-3 lead into the top of the 9th, but thanks to the World Baseball Classic's tiebreaker rules that use run differential, they were looking to tack on another run or two — after all, they're trying to undo a 10-run loss from Friday. So Chris Robinson led off the top of the 9th with a bunt single, something that wouldn't fly in just about any other baseball game.
Mexican reliever Arnold Leon threw at Canada's next hitter, Rene Tosoni, but missed, drawing warnings to both benches. Despite the warning, Leon drilled Tosoni square on the shoulder on the next pitch. After some jawing from Tosoni, the benches emptied. No one tried too hard to break up the two converging sides, though, and before long, punches were flying and guys were wrestled to the ground.
The fight was so wide-scale it's hard to figure out everyone involved. The main offenders from Mexico seem to be infielder Luis Cruz, outfielder Eduardo Arredondo and pitcher Alfredo Aceves, while outfielder Tyson Gillies and pitcher Scott Mathieson were the main brawlers on the Canadian side.
Eventually things cooled down on the field, but the fight still had the largely pro-Mexico crowd in Arizona riled up. As seen in the video, someone from the stands threw a bottle of water at Team Canada as they filed off the field.
It will be interesting to see what kind of punishment is handed down — Canada has at least one more game remaining, against the United States on Sunday. Mexico is done with pool play and was eliminated from further contention with the loss.
