The news spread pretty quick throughout the Rays clubhouse regarding the latest stemming from the Red Sox brawl; they disagreed with MLB's decision Friday to uphold 2B Akinori Iwamura's three-game suspension while reducing Coco Crisp's suspension from seven to five games (one less than James Shields).

For the most part, they just can't understand why.

"First of all, the fact that after the appeal that we made the other day that Aki's suspension was not reduced, I’m kind of baffled by it," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "I don’t agree with it at all. I thought it should have been reduced. I thought it was way too severe, because of the fact that we were reacting to a situation. And then furthermore, the guy that pretty much created the entire moment gets his reduced by two (games). Honestly, none of that makes any sense to me whatsoever."

Iwamura said through an interpreter he was "very disappointed" his appeal didn't lead to anything, and "it hurts me I can't start the first game against Boston."

Shields was upset as well, pointing out how Crisp's suspension was reduced to the same amount as Jonny Gomes, whom the right-hander said "was just defending his teammate."

"I'm not happy about it at all," Shields said. "(Crisp) is the one who charged me. He's the one that instigated the whole thing. I don't agree with it....but there's nothing we can do about it."

Maddon didn't rule out asking "the appropriate people" for an explanation.

"They’re going to cite different, similar situations in the past, but I think this is dissimilar from the situation that occurred in the past," Maddon said. "I believe every case should be judged based on its own merit or non-merit.”

But Maddon pointed out that he feels the matter is over, and is looking forward to moving on. The teams play Monday through Wednesday at the Trop.

"We accept it and we’re going to move on,” Maddon said. "We're not going to cry about it, we're not going to raise a stink over the fact that the Red Sox were reduced and we were not. I'm not going to say anything about that. All I'm going to say is I don't agree with the decision, I thought it was wrong, but we're going to live by it and we’re not going to cry about it."

--- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com