Why wasn't Gary Sanchez ejected for part in Yankees-Tigers brawl?

What appeared to be just another matinee game Thursday between the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees at Comerica Park turned into quite a mess.

Three benches-clearing brawls and eight ejections took place during the contest which featured Miguel Cabrera throwing punches at Yankees catcher Austin Romine and James McCann nearly having his head taken off courtesy of Dellin Betances' 98-mph fastball.

Front and center in Thursday's rumble was the Yankees' Gary Sanchez - who may have been one of the igniters of the fiery fiasco when he stared down Tigers starter Michael Fulmer after a fifth-inning hit-by-pitch - but was surprisingly not one of the ejections.

Sanchez should've been ejected for a multitude of reasons, but here are three that Major League Baseball should contemplate when dishing out punishment for the ruckus.

Sucker-punching Cabrera

After Miggy was nearly plunked by Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle and had words with Romine, he decided to offer baseball fans his best Floyd Mayweather impersonation by throwing blows, which quickly led to the skirmish.

As Cabrera and Romine wrestled on the ground, it was Sanchez who was caught on film sucker-punching a defenseless Cabrera as he was on the ground:

Sanchez's punch received pretty harsh comments from Hall of Fame pitcher and fellow Dominican Pedro Martinez, who explained the youngster's image may be tarnished "for a long time":

Cheap shot on Castellanos

If one punch wasn't enough to get ejected, why wasn't two? During the same tussle, Sanchez could be seen punching Nicholas Castellanos while the Tigers third baseman was pinned to the ground by two Yankees.

Sanchez explained after the game, "instinct takes over because you want to defend your teammate." But getting away with two punches on defenseless human beings, no matter how they acted toward teammates, is unwarranted and deserved an ejection.

McCann retaliation

So, two punches and no ejection.

Sanchez was shifted from designated hitter to catcher with Romine expelled from the contest, but the clashes appeared to be over after the Tigers didn't respond in the top of the seventh. Guess again.

Betances threw one curveball to leadoff hitter James McCann before hurling a 98-mph fastball directly at his head.

The video didn't show Sanchez calling for the up-and-in pitch, but he surely expected McCann to get beaned, but that's not what warranted an ejection. It was Sanchez's actions afterward, egging the Tigers on while making it appear like he was holding Betances back.

Under rule 8.01 (d) of the MLB rule book, an umpire "has authority to disqualify any player, coach, manager or substitute for objecting to decisions or for unsportsmanlike conduct or language, and to eject such disqualified person from the playing field."

What Sanchez did by trying to engage the Tigers in another fight is certainly "unsportmanlike" and deserved an ejection, even if he didn't throw the pitch that started the fracas.

This is one time when three strikes didn't get Sanchez out. It's unfortunate news for the game as Sanchez got off the hook despite breaking the rules.

Hopefully, MLB suspends Sanchez to make up for missing out on removing him from a game as he deserved. If a suspension isn't handed out, Sanchez will have pulled a fast one not only on the umpires and league, but the entire game of baseball.