Tensions flared late in a close game between the Phillies and Mets when José Alvarado struck out Dom Smith in the eighth inning with two runners on and a one-run lead. The at-bat started with friction already simmering from a past incident involving Michael Conforto, when Alvarado hit him after throwing one up and in. Dom Smith had shouted from the bench back then, and Alvarado hadn’t forgotten. On a windy afternoon, Alvarado labored through the count, throwing a few wild ones, letting the runners advance, and running it full. Dom called timeout before the payoff pitch, then watched strike three fly by at 98.
Smith didn’t argue the call but turned around calmly to ask if it was a strike. Alvarado, though, started shouting at Dom from the mound, even though Smith had his back turned. Smith, clearly caught off guard, asked what was being said but couldn’t make much of it since Alvarado was yelling in Spanish. Benches cleared, but nothing escalated past shouting. After the game, Dom summed it up without backing down, saying he had no idea what Alvarado was yelling about but that if there was a real problem, they could meet in the tunnel. He admitted Alvarado probably waited until teammates stepped in before barking, and added some tongue-in-cheek humor about the whole thing, especially the lost-in-translation part.