BOSTON (AP) - Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona and catcher Victor Martinez began serving suspensions Thursday night for a bench-clearing brawl against the Tigers after reaching an agreement with Major League Baseball that reduced their penalties by one game apiece.
Carmona, who made his last start of the season against Boston on Wednesday, began serving a five-game suspension and will miss opening day of the 2009 season. Martinez's suspension was reduced from three games to two.Infielder Asdrubal Cabrera began serving a three-game suspension Tuesday.
Carmona hit Gary Sheffield with a pitch in last Friday's game against Detroit, and Sheffield charged the mound from first base to trigger a bench-clearing brawl.
