In a tense moment during the bottom of the eighth between the Cubs and Reds, things got heated when Yasiel Puig stepped to the plate with a runner on second and two outs. The Cubs clearly didn’t want to pitch to him and instead started throwing junk to avoid giving him anything to hit. Puig picked up on it fast and made sure the entire stadium knew he wasn’t happy. He made a scene, calling out the pitcher, Pedro Strop, for pitching around him. The catcher didn’t appreciate the drama, and things escalated when Puig stood in and took another pitch—only for Strop to drill him with it.
That’s when it blew up. Puig shouted back, calling Strop names loud enough to stir up both dugouts. Strop didn’t back down and moved toward him, but teammates got involved before it went further. Anthony Rizzo shoved Puig back while Joey Votto acted as the Reds’ cooler, dragging Puig away from the fray. The bullpens ran in, but like most dustups, they arrived late and didn’t do much. Both sides jawed at each other but kept their distance. Plenty of barking, no punches.
The aftermath was mostly theater. Puig kept yelling across the infield, challenging Strop to come closer while making it clear he wasn’t actually planning to charge. Despite all the noise, nothing came of it except a warning and a lot of posturing. It was the kind of incident Puig thrives in, but Strop looked rattled, and his coaches knew it.