The Reds and Pirates sparked some drama after Derek Dietrich blasted a home run off Chris Archer and admired it a bit too long. Archer didn’t like the look, so the next time Dietrich came up, Archer threw a pitch behind him. That earned both teams a warning from the ump, and Reds manager David Bell wasn’t happy, likely wanting Archer tossed immediately. Things escalated fast after that.
Yasiel Puig, always ready for contact, charged in when tempers rose. Dietrich, oddly enough, seemed the calmest during the whole mess, even getting tossed while trying to cool things down. Cervelli and Puig got in each other’s faces, yelling and posturing. Joey Votto and Melky Cabrera tried to keep the peace at first, but Puig ended up alone with Melky, who wasn’t backing down. Puig wriggled free from teammates and dodged a few grabs before things settled—no punches, just the usual baseball scuffle. Players shouted, pushed, and promised fights no one ever starts.
Typical baseball fight energy: lots of threats, not much action. Melky and Cervelli led the loud end for the Pirates. Puig held it down loud for the Reds. Nothing came from it on the field beyond warnings and ejections, but the benches certainly got their workout.