Seven Are Fined After Brush-backs

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 13 -- Seven members of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies were fined on Monday after a series of inside pitches led to the benches emptying during Game 3 of the NLCS on Sunday night. Major League Baseball issued the fines to four Dodgers and three Phillies, a group that includes three coaches.

Los Angeles pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, who threw the head-high pitch that helped ignite the fracas, was fined $7,500, according to Manager Joe Torre. Manny Ramírez was docked $2,500, first base coach Mariano Duncan $1,000 and third base coach Larry Bowa $500.

Philadelphia outfielder Shane Victorino, the target of Kuroda's brush-back pitch, was fined $2,500, and first base coach Davey Lopes and reliever J.C. Romero $1,000 each, according to Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel. No punches were thrown, but Kuroda and Victorino engaged in a spicy stare-down, and Ramírez needed four or five teammates and coaches to restrain him from lunging at anybody in red.

Each of the three coaches fined has ties to the opposing club; Bowa once played for and managed the Phillies; Duncan once played for the Phillies and Lopes once played for the Dodgers.

Before Game 4 on Monday, Manuel expressed the desire for a clean finish to this series -- to a point.

"I want the game to run right," Manuel said. "But at the same time, like I said, I want our pitchers to pitch the game the right way. And if throwing inside is part of it, then I'm sure Joe [Torre] probably feels the same way."

Availability Varies

If this series goes seven games, Los Angeles will receive three starts from its ace, Derek Lowe (Game 1, Game 4 and Game 7). But Philadelphia will receive just two starts from its ace, Cole Hamels (Game 1 and Game 5).

The Dodgers can demand such a workload from Lowe only because he's an October veteran, willing to work on short rest; Philadelphia has no desire to place a similar strain on its 24-year-old left-hander, who called the strategy for his schedule for this series "mostly a health issue."

Manuel defended his decision to pitch Hamels just twice in the NLCS, but Hamels on Monday hoped that, in future years, as he learns what his arm can tolerate, he will become a candidate to pitch on short rest.

Surgery for Pujols

Albert Pujols had elbow surgery Monday and the St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman is expected to be ready for spring training. The 2005 NL MVP underwent a 25-minute outpatient procedure to relieve nerve irritation in his right elbow.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.