2 Padres ejected after Orioles’ Henderson gets hit by pitch in 9th; Bogaerts was hit on helmet earlier

BALTIMORE—Gunnar Henderson knew the retaliation was coming. In the top of the fifth inning of Saturday’s game. Oriole starter Trey Gibson hit San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts with a pitch on the helmet. An inning later, he left the game.

Padres reliever Bradgley Rodriguez threw two consecutive pitches toward the Orioles’ shortstop in the seventh inning, neither hitting him.

In the bottom of the ninth with two outs and the Orioles trailing 9-3 another San Diego reliever, Ron Marinaccio, hit Henderson with a pitch on the right hip. After a brief meeting of the umpires, crew chief Chris Conroy ejected Marinaccio and moments later booted Padres manager Craig Stammen.

“I guess they were trying to make up for missing,” Henderson said. “They had their two opportunities in my previous at-bat and missed, so thought that should have been the end of it. But I guess they were trying to get payback, so I guess we’re even now.

“I thought it was done after the previous one. But, yeah, I guess he can’t hit me; he missed twice. So, I don’t know.”

Henderson has been around long enough to know payback happens in baseball.

“I mean, you have an idea because it’s just how it is,” Henderson said. “I mean, we hit somebody of theirs, and obviously weren’t trying to, but it is what it is. And, yeah, you had your opportunity to get it back, and they did and missed, so that should have been it.”

Manager Craig Albernaz, who went on the field after Henderson was hit, thought it was handled correctly by the umpiring crew.

“Trey hit Bogaerts in the head and their dugout didn’t like it at all,” Albernaz said. “Obviously, it definitely wasn’t intentional. It was a two-seam that slipped out of his hand. I get there why they’re mad, the ball hit him in the head and he had to come out of the game. I’m not saying the ball to Gunnar was on purpose, but it was done the right way. And that’s why there was no gripes from us, and Gunnar was fine with it and just took it to first base.”

Marinaccio was surprised he was ejected.

“I mean there’s no warnings yet, so I guess shocked a little bit,” he said. “I could understand the visual, a couple guys pitching inside earlier, but there’s no warnings.”

Stammen, a first-year manager like Albernaz, didn’t think it was intentional.

“We need to pitch him inside,” Stammen said. “If he gets extended, he’s going to do what he did yesterday [three hits, including his 100th home run]. That’s part of pitching, is to be able to pitch inside, pitch between the plate and the body and hit him. I don’t know why they tossed him.”

He wasn’t satisfied with what he was told by Conroy.

“They definitely thought he did it on purpose,” he said. “That was not my understanding or my take from it. Ultimately, that’s why I went out and argued.

“Just didn’t think it was warranted. It would have been fine if they just warned everybody, and we’d have been fine, and move on from there.”

Adrian Morejon relieved Marinaccio and retired Pete Alonso on a grounder to second base to end the game.

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