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Astros' Cintron gets 20-game ban, A's Laureano suspended for 6 after brawl

Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Major League Baseball suspended Houston Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron for 20 games following a benches-clearing melee Sunday in a game against the Oakland Athletics, the league announced Tuesday.

MLB also handed Athletics outfielder Ramon Laureano a six-game ban for his role in the brawl. He will be appealing the suspension.

After a pitch hit Laureano, Cintron apparently said something inappropriate about the player's mother while he was in the Astros' dugout, prompting the 26-year-old to charge at him.

"I accept MLB's suspension and will learn from this," Cintron said in a statement. "Although I never referenced Ramon's mother, my actions were inappropriate. I apologize for my part in Sunday's unfortunate incident."

Astros catcher Martin Maldonado doesn't appear to be impressed with the suspension of his coach:

Cintron's ban would translate to 54 contests over a 162-game season, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. The coach reportedly won't be eligible to return until Sept. 2.

"I just thought they threw the book at us big time," Astros manager Dusty Baker said, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "What can you do? The rule is the rule."

Cintron's suspension is also the longest for an on-field incident since former major leaguer Kenny Rogers was handed 20 games following a physical confrontation with two cameramen in Texas in 2005.

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