Tensions rose between NL Central rivals on Wednesday night, with pitchers head-hunting and managers getting ejected.
In the bottom of the eighth inning between the Cubs and Reds at Great American Ball Park, with Joey Votto up to bat for Cincinnati, Chicago reliever Rowan Wick threw the first pitch very close to the star first baseman’s head. Votto had hit a home run and a triple already in the game, and boos rained down from the crowd.
When Wick eventually walked him on four pitches, he said something in Votto’s direction as he walked to first. In a zoomed in video, the word “motherf–ker” appeared to come out of Wick’s mouth, though he told reporters after the game that all he said was “nice bat flip.”
Votto did not take too kindly to Wick’s words, and screamed at the pitcher for several seconds as he stared at the catcher, not turning in his direction.
“If someone says something to me, sometimes I don’t answer, but I wasn’t in the mood to keep my mouth shut,” Votto said after the game.
The jawing continued after Mike Moustakas came to bat, with the Cubs dugout getting involved, chirping in Votto’s direction. Wick stepped off the mound, and the umpire had to get involved, telling the Cubs dugout to “knock it off.”
Then, in the ninth, Reds reliever Hunter Strickland beaned Cubs infielder Patrick Wisdom on the arm. The umpire didn’t seem to mind, but Cubs manager David Ross sure did, walking out of the dugout to scream at home plate umpire Dan Merzel. The skipper was promptly ejected.
Votto, after the game, said Strickland’s pitch was unintentional.
“You don’t put the tying run at the plate with one out,” he said. “That was absolutely unintentional. We’re trying to win a baseball game.”
Wick thought differently.
“Maybe it appeared that way. Don’t know. We’ll see what happens tomorrow,” he said.