Mike Clevinger thinks Dom Smith was showing him up, a breakdown
What Happened
In the bottom of the ninth inning of a game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Washington Nationals, starting pitcher Mike Clevinger of the Guardians is seeking to complete a shutout. He quickly records the first two outs, bringing the game to its final at-bat. Up steps Dominick "Dom" Smith, the left fielder for the Nationals. Clevinger delivers a fastball that catches the top of the strike zone, but Smith is unfazed, crushing the pitch deep into the outfield for a solo home run. As Smith admires his handiwork with a celebratory bat flip, Clevinger takes issue, believing the gesture was a sign of disrespect. "I think he was mocking me," Clevinger later explains. "He was doing the same thing I was doing when the pitching coach would come out - covering his face. So I thought he was mocking me." The two players exchange heated words, with Clevinger saying "Nice one, nice pimp" and Smith retorting "What? What?" Tempers flare as Smith continues yelling at Clevinger, saying "Don't play with me" and "You're over the limit." Clevinger responds in kind, and the two have to be separated by their teammates and coaches. Despite the outburst, Clevinger manages to record the final out, completing the game with one earned run allowed. However, Smith is not done, continuing to yell at Clevinger as he leaves the field, calling him a "crybaby" and telling him to "go home" and "cry about it." The incident underscores the competitive nature of the game, even between two teams whose playoff hopes have long since faded. Clevinger, seeking to preserve his shutout, takes offense to Smith's celebratory antics, while Smith feels disrespected by Clevinger's reaction. In the end, the escalating war of words demonstrates the intense emotions that can arise, even in a late-season matchup between two struggling clubs.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentclevenger's pitching against the
Nationals two teams not playing for much
but clubs playing for complete Game
shutout it's the bottom of the ninth
there's the first out grounder to Tim
Anderson two more outs he completes the
complete Game shutout you never watched
Clevenger pitch it'll make you a little
crazy look at all this look at all this
look at all this look at all this look
at all this nonsense just kind of a lot
going on before every pitch one two
fouled up there's the second out he was
looking for boom got it one more out
complete Game shutout up steps Dom Smith
Slugger looks over to the right leans
back rocks okay first pitch fastball top
of the Zone strike one okay oh and one
two strikes to go next pitch change up
doesn't Chase good take then fastball
again oh cleb wanted it but so did Dom
he's like
straighten that one out I think I got
something one strike away from
completing the complete Game shutout for
Clevenger ants in his pants one two
pitch fastball top of the Zone again but
this time in the middle one Dom smooth
crushes it and sends it into the
Outfield complete Game shutout no way no
way not with that pitch oh got all of it
and watches it celebrates it maybe had a
frustrating day felt good to end it on a
good note little bat flip stares at his
teammate says hey our season might be
over but that was fun and then he covers
his face and clever intercedes him
covering his face here and in his post
game kleb said that
he thought Dom Smith was mocking him
because Clevenger was covering his face
like that when his pitching coach was
looking at him or his managers looking
at him because he didn't want to come
out of the game so cleb thought he was
mocking him and maybe he was I have no
idea and then he says nice one
nice pimp yeah but unfortunately check
that out I've been dominating you guys
what what what what what
he wants to know what he said what [ __ ]
you
[ __ ] you too okay oh don't play oh I
don't want to play don't play with me oh
oh over the limit
over the [ __ ] limit he's upset Smith
is upset that Clevenger was upset [ __ ]
you ah hey let's go you want to chat
let's meet up out there let's meet up
come on
in the hallway outside the clubhouse
granddaughter's like what happened what
was that all about he still has to get
one out to complete the complete game
but he no shutout no longer Smith got
him first pitch fastball second Pitch
cutter O2 next pitch doesn't Chase on
the slider full arsenal then he chases
on the slider there complete game one
earned run for Clevenger and Smith's not
done yelling at him he's still Smith is
still upset that Clevenger was upset and
he says cry baby go home cry about it
now huh cry home cry home yeah cry home
yeah
um and that's the story about when two
um teams on losing Seasons got mad
because the other one got mad and then
they got mad a Perpetual Madness cycle
look at this guy he's upset he's mad at
the bottom right mad top left mad
everyone's photos man