When division rivals meet, fireworks are often in the cards. That was true on Monday night when the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals started a four-game series.
The game was business as usual for the first six and a half innings, but things took a turn in the bottom of the seventh. Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras was called out on strikes to end the inning. The pitch appeared to be in the strike zone, but Contreras took exception.
The catcher said something to umpire Derek Thomas as he walked towards the dugout and was then ejected from the game. He turned back towards home plate and began screaming at Thomas. Contreras bumped Thomas, causing Cardinals manager Oli Marmol to break up the scuffle. Marmol was also ejected from the game.
As Contreras was brought back towards the dugout, he fired his helmet at Thomas’s feet. He then threw his bat towards the umpire as well. When he returned to the dugout, he launched a bucket of Hi-Chew gum onto the field.
When the dust settled, the Pirates found themselves down a run in the eighth inning. With one out in the ninth inning, Liover Peguero was hit by a pitch, stole second base and was doubled in by Ronny Simon. Simon then ran into an out on the basepaths, and Bryan Reynolds struck out to end the threat.
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Dennis Santana came on for the bottom half of the ninth and retired the first two batters on two pitches. In a 1-1 count, Santana made a good pitch, but Alec Burleson muscled the ball out of the park to walk off the Pirates, 7-6. The swing was awkward, but somehow, some way, the ball ended up over the fence. The Pirates are now 18-44 on the road.
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Featured image via John Froschauer/Imagn Images