Jorge Lopez came into a cold game for the Nationals trying to keep the deficit at one run. But what unfolded was a messy seventh inning loaded with history and emotion. A year earlier, Lopez had been lit up by Brian Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen when he pitched for the Cubs. Fast forward to this game, and both Reynolds and McCutchen faced Lopez in a tense spot. First, Lopez hit Reynolds with a pitch up and in. No reaction from Lopez, but Reynolds clearly wasn’t thrilled. Then came McCutchen. After one breaking ball for a strike and a low slider, Lopez fired a pitch near McCutchen’s head, dropping him to the dirt. The stadium was fired up, with fans yelling and benches getting ready to clear.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton stormed out. Both teams got involved in the shouting match. The umpires held a quick meeting and tossed Lopez, despite there being no prior warnings. Lopez argued he didn’t throw at anyone on purpose, yelling his case as he was ejected. David Martinez, the Nats’ manager, questioned how the umpires could know intent. Reynolds told teammates he saw it coming and believed it was intentional. Lopez’s past behavior and previous run-ins didn’t help his case, and an anonymous Nationals coach might have thrown some shade at him too, although the video wasn’t clear on what he said.
The inning didn’t end there. With the bases loaded after McCutchen walked, O’Neil Cruz stepped in and crushed a grand slam. That broke the game open and shifted all momentum to the Pirates. MLB later suspended Lopez for three games, siding with the idea that he threw at Reynolds and McCutchen on purpose.