Reece Hopkins found himself in the middle of some tension across two games after a pair of questionable pitches. In the first incident, the pitcher threw behind Hopkins’ back. Whether it was intentional or not, behind-the-back pitches usually raise eyebrows. The very next pitch went up near Hopkins’ head, which only added to the suspicion. Either the pitcher aimed at him, or had such little control that he became dangerous unintentionally. Hopkins didn’t react much during the game, but the frustration was clear.
The next day, Hopkins got his payback. He launched a home run off the same pitcher and made sure everyone knew it. He took his time rounding the bases, slowed things down near home plate, and even added some sidesteps to stretch the moment. He later claimed his jog style was a shoutout to umpire Joe West, though the pitcher didn’t seem to buy it. Hopkins and teammate Bryce Harper shared a word while the opposing pitcher smirked, visibly annoyed but trying to move past it. Post-homer, the energy stayed high, with even the coach bringing some extra flair to the postgame handshakes. Hopkins made his point, and everyone else just tried to keep it moving.