Video: Rays’ Jose Siri, Brewers’ Abner Uribe Explain How Benches-Clearing Brawl Began

Julia StumbaughMay 1, 2024

John Fisher/Getty Images

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jose Siri and Milwaukee Brewer pitcher Abner Uribe spoke Tuesday night about what led to the altercation that sparked a benches-clearing brawl late in the Brewers’ 8-2 win.

Siri said the conflict began when Uribe hit him as he was headed to first base.

“When I went to first base, I just went there normal, and he kind of hit me on the shoulder, so I asked him why did he do that. And he just said, ‘Because I felt like it,'” Siri said.

Siri continued: “From right there nothing was said. That’s when he threw the first punch, and I defended myself with the two punches.”

Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun @BallySportsFL”That’s when he threw the first punch and I defended myself with the two punches.”

Rays outfielder Jose Siri shares his perspective on what led to the benches clearing tonight in Milwaukee. pic.twitter.com/NkR56pMzGA

Uribe also spoke about the altercation after the game.

“I think there were some words shared that didn’t have much to do with the game… Just one of those moments that got into a [heated] situation,” Uribe said. “I think that’s something that’s probably best to look back on video and see how exactly the exchange went down and what happened.”

Todd Rosiak @Todd_RosiakAbner Uribe tells his side of the story regarding his altercation with Jose Siri: pic.twitter.com/NF4rNx0Hcg

The brawl occurred after Siri and Uribe exchanged blows during the top of the eighth inning of the Brewers’ 8-2 win over the Rays.

B/R Walk-Off @BRWalkoffBenches clear in the Rays/Brewers game 😱

(via @BallySportWI)pic.twitter.com/KmIJ4AT83S

Siri hit his second home run of the season in the third inning off of Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta.

When he came up to the plate again in the sixth, Peralta hit him in the leg on a 3-0 pitch, resulting in ejections for the pitcher and Brewers manager Pat Murphy.

Bally Sports Wisconsin @BallySportWIFreddy Peralta and Pat Murphy have been ejected from the game. #ThisIsMyCrew | #MLB pic.twitter.com/zBDgpzp08Z

“I don’t know if he did it on purpose. He’s a good pitcher. Maybe he wanted to hit me instead of giving me the walk,” Siri said about the sixth-inning hit-by-pitch, which marked Peralta’s third of the game.

During his next at-bat in the eighth, Siri hit a ground-out to first base, which Uribe jogged over to cover.

As the two passed one another, Uribe’s glove appeared to make contact with Siri’s leg, at which point Siri turned around and spoke to him.

“The whole thing was, when I asked him why he did that, and he gave me that response, and that was it,” Siri said.

Uribe said he wasn’t expecting the benches to clear when the altercation with Siri began.

“That’s not really a situation that you want to happen,” Uribe said. “But then you kind of have to handle it as it is once everyone is out there on the field.”

Both Uribe and Siri were ejected from the game and could face further discipline Wednesday when the MLB weighs in on the altercation.

This is not the first brawl of the season for the Brewers. The benches also cleared at Citi Field in March after the New York Mets objected to a hard slide to second base by Milwaukee first baseman Rhys Hoskins.