It's time for the nonsense to end.It's time for the days when a pitcher hurls a dangerous projectile at another person in excess of 90 mph with little or no provocation to end.Thankfully http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-ozzie-smith-jersey , it appears MLB agrees.On Thursday, the league announced a six-game suspension for Miami Marlins right-hander Jose Urena after he hit Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. with a 97.5 mph fastball, seemingly intentionally.In case you missed it, here's the footage:MLB MLBBenches clear in Marlins-Braves after Jos茅 Ure帽a hits Ronald Acu帽a Jr. in 1st inning.Acu帽a Jr. (5 straight games with HR, 3 straight with leadoff HR) exits in 2nd inning. V2aSu97YEXDid that beanball arrive courtesy of a bat flip or some other "justifiable" reason? Nope.What was Acuna's crime, then? What affront had he committed?As best as anyone can tell, it was the "offense" of homering in five straight games, including three straight against the Marlins.Acuna was on a roll. More specifically, he was on a roll against the Fish. Somehow, that warranted a fastball to the elbow.Multiple MLB commentators, including ESPN's Buster Olney, thought it was on purpose:Buster Olney Buster_ESPNThe fact that Urena dropped his glove as the Braves bench emptied and seemed to beckon them forward tells you all you need to know about his intent.Acuna wasn't showboating or running his mouth or breaking any of the game's other antiquated unspoken rules. He was merely raking, which is what he's generally been doing since his big league debut April 25.Through 68 games, Acuna has 19 home runs and a .924 OPS. He's squarely in the conversation for National League Rookie of the Year honors.Other intriguing Senior Circuit rookies such as the Washington Nationals' Juan Soto will give Acuna a run for his money, but he's undeniably one of the most eye-opening up-and-comers on one of the most exciting young teams in either league.Now we return to his standoff with Urena. Is there a universe where his behavior is remotely justified?Former MLB player and current New York Mets commentator Keith Hernandez seems to think so."He's hit three home runs. You've got to hit him," Hernandez said, per MLB.com'sDo-Hyoung Park and Daniel Kramer."I'm sorry. People aren't going to like that. You've got to hit him; knock him down Albert Pujols Jersey , at least."A hitter is hitting, which is his job. In response, you hurl a sphere of cork, string and leather at his arm in the vicinity of triple digits, endangering not only his physical safety but also his long-term livelihood.That's horrendous on its face. It's cruel and antithetical to the spirit of the game.Braves legend and Hall of Famer Chipper Jones had a strong take in response to Hernandez's asinine comments:Chipper Jones RealCJ10So by this way of thinking, Jacob deGrom should get drilled cuz he鈥檚 the hottest pitcher on the planet? NO! I enjoy watching him pitch and I enjoy watching RAJ play the game. I鈥檓 old school just like this broadcaster, but these comments are waaay off base! N21hLVxBefHis slippery slope argument is precisely on point. A player, whether a pitcher or hitter, should not be targeted for performing at a high level. Period, paragraph.While we're on the subject, bat flips and other mild on-field antics shouldn't result in baseballs being intentionally thrown at players. It's dumb. It's juvenile. It makes the game less enjoyable鈥攏ot more.Fortunately, Acuna played Thursday and seems to be OK after going 1-for-4 against the Colorado Rockies. And MLB's harsh, swift punishment of Urena ought to set a precedent.Granted, we can all recall our favorite beanball (or near-beanball) scuffle. Maybe it's Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura. Perhaps it's an even more one-sided tusslesuch as Pedro Martinez and Don Zimmer.There's sick fun when a guy gets plugged or buzzed by an inside pitch and the benches clear. But doesn't it feel like a baseball artifact, set to be relegated to history's dust bin?Here's where Acuna deserves a ton of credit: He didn't charge the mound.In a sense, who could have blamed him for wanting to rip into Urena? Acuna, after all http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-stan-musial-jersey , is a key contributor on a rising postseason hopeful.Urena's pitch endangered his season for the "crime" of being good, and it was bush league.Yet, Acuna restrained himself. Tip your cap. Give more points to the youngster, and to MLB for cutting through the noise and punishing Urena for his childish antics. That six-game suspension sends a message: This isn't cool.As an interesting side note: If Urena doesn't appeal his suspension and simply serves it, his next turn on the mound would be scheduled to come against the Braves. Stay tuned.Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesHere's a foundational question: Do we watch baseball because we're hoping a burgeoning superstar will get plunked in the elbow, or because we want to see the best hitters swing the bat against the best pitchers?It's time to do away with the unwritten rules.It's time for the nonsense to end. All statistics current as of Thursday and courtesy of Baseball Reference. A doubleheader Saturday at Camden Yards is not an ideal scenario for the Houston Astros.The defending World Series champions are steamrolling their way into the postseason and do not need any injuries or pitching issues to get in the way in their quest to win the title again.Nonetheless, Houston and Baltimore will play a single-admission doubleheader after the game Thursday was postponed because of rain. The nightcap will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.Article continues below ...Houston took the opener 2-1 on Friday. The Astros clinched their second straight AL West title on Tuesday. The Astros open a best-of-five Division Series matchup against Cleveland at home on Oct. 5.Houston manager AJ Hinch wants to make sure his players don’t get complacent against the hapless Orioles. “I have stressed to them not to get sloppy,” Hinch said. “You don’t want to play like it’s spring training, then have to go back into playoff mode.”As a result, the series in Baltimore will simply be a tuneup for the postseason. Justin Verlander (16-9, 2.60 ERA) will start the first game Saturday, looking to boost his chances for the 2018 American League Cy Young Award.Verlander has a career-high 280 strikeouts and will likely add to the total against the struggling Orioles. Verlander is 10-5 with a 3.75 ERA in 20 starts against Baltimore. “He’s had some pretty good ones as an Astro,” Hinch said. “When he comes out and sets that kind of tone and gets those swings and misses and the strikeouts, it’s a pretty special day for us.”Dallas Keuchel (12-11, 2.75 ERA) has already set a career high with 272 strikeouts. The left-hander is 5-0 with a 3.54 ERA with 65 strikeouts in his last seven starts.In Keuchel’s last outing against Toronto, he picked up his first win since Sept. 3, (12-11) allowing three runs and seven hits in five innings. He also amassed more than 200 innings in a season for the third time in his career.“It means more to me now than it did the first time Roger Maris Jersey ,” Keuchel said, alluding to the Astros’ stellar run during the past two years.Keuchel is 3-2 with 2.80 ERA in seven starts against the Orioles. Meanwhile, Baltimore is on course to endure the worst season in franchise history The biggest question facing the Orioles during this final weekend of the season is whether manager Buck Showalter will return to the club in 2019. He was not worried about the uncertainty or expects anyone from the front office to update his status until the final pitch Sunday. “I’ve got a contract through the end of October, so nobody needs to or has to do that,” Showalter said. “There’s a lot of people in this world like that. Who am I? I mean, really? Is it that important? No.”For Baltimore, Dylan Bundy will start the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader and Yefry Ramírez will start the nightcap. Bundy (8-16, 5.49 ERA) has struggled in the second half of the season. Ramirez (1-7, 6.07 ERA) is trying to make his case to be part of the rotation in 2019. Nonetheless, both pitchers will play a part in the Orioles’ rebuild. “I think in today’s game a lot depends on how quick the young pitching comes,” Showalter said. “You look at what separates the Houstons. You talk about all the things they do on the field and the good position players, but you’ve got three guys throwing 200 innings, it lets you do a lot of things with your bullpen that other people can’t do.“You try to do it as fast as you can, but you’ve got to do it with your nose down and grind each day and you might be surprised where you stand when those days are behind you.”
