Dodgers minor league team gets in benches-clearing brawl

While the temperatures in Southern California have cooled in the last few days, the tempers apparently have not.

The Dodgers’ Class-A affiliate the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and the High Desert Mavericks from the Rangers organization got into a benches-clearing brawl that saw several punches thrown and two players ejected.

The fight unfolded when Quakes reliever Luis De Paula hit Travis Demeritte with the first pitch of the sixth inning. Demeritte, who leads the California League with 19 homers, including one an inning earlier, slowly walked in the direction of the mound. But before he got to the grass, the High Desert bench was already spilling onto the field.

There was some pushing and shoving initially, then the situation escalated when Quakes catcher Julian Leon appeared to start throwing punches in the midst of a crowd of Mavericks players. Leon was swarmed before being pulled away by teammates, but an unidentified Quakes bullpen catcher filled in for his position-mate with several power punch attempts.

Video of the event shows multiple players throwing punches, but the umpires ejected only De Paula and Mavericks third baseman Juremi Profar.

The Mavericks won the game, 10-4.

shotgun.spratling@latimes.com