March 8, 2011
PHOENIX (AP) -- Casey McGehee, Prince Fielder and the Milwaukee Brewers thought Roman Colon celebrated a spring training strikeout a little too much.
The Brewers and Dodgers cleared the benches after Colon fanned McGehee and punctuated it with fist pump, and Los Angeles went on to win 7-1 Tuesday.
There was no pushing, nor any punches or ejections. McGehee and Colon both left the game after the sixth-inning scrum and they spoke more calmly on their way to the clubhouses down the right-field line.
"He's competitive. I'm competitive. Sometimes people get a little excited," McGehee said. "To me it's not a big deal. There's a lot more important stuff to get upset about than a spring training game."
Colon struck out McGehee with the bases loaded to end the sixth inning. McGehee yelled at Colon and Fielder came out of the Brewers dugout in his teammate's defense.
Both benches and bullpens, including several Dodgers starters waiting just outside the left-field bullpen, emptied onto the grass between home plate and the mound.
McGehee said he wasn't surprised Fielder, who earlier in the inning had left the game for a pinch-runner, was so quick to respond.
"He was mad because we were talking about where we were going to dinner and he wasn't invited." McGehee said. "Good, bad or indifferent, Prince is behind you 100 percent."
Colon said he wasn't sure what the fuss was about.
"You've got to let that go," he said.
To Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, his team's reaction was a sign that his message is getting through.
"Whether it's a spring training or regular season game it means a lot to them," he said. "That's what I'm trying to get them to understand. Whenever you go on the field to play a game, they need to be going full out."
Matt Kemp hit his first home run of the spring, a two-run shot in the Dodgers' four-run fourth inning. Tony Gwynn, Aaron Miles and Andre Ethier hit solo homers for Los Angeles.
"Confidence comes with success," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Success makes you feel better about your work and it effects everything."
Los Angeles starter John Ely recorded his second win, throwing one-hit ball for innings. Former Dodgers right-hander Takashi Saito started for Milwaukee and allowed Gwynn's home run in his only inning of work.
"Those are my former teammates," said Saito, who relied a little more heavily than normal on his breaking ball. "They know what my pitches are so I had to mix it up a little bit."
NOTES: Ely saves his best for the Brewers. Last season, he made his second career start against Milwaukee and allowed one run on four hits over 6 2-3 innings.
