The 2022 MLB season has barely gotten underway and we’re already seeing tension. Friday’s game between the New York Mets and Washington Nationals featured a bench-clearing incident. Saturday’s game between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs had another.
With the Cubs leading 9-0 in the eighth inning, Chicago’s Keegan Thompson hit Andrew McCutchen with a pitch. McCutchen made his displeasure known as he walked down the first baseline. Eventually, the benches cleared.
Benches clear after Cutch gets drilled by a pitch. Contreras, Happ were hit earlier in the game for the Cubs 👀#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/5JzmflKOjr
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) April 9, 2022
Indeed, there is a history here.
Ian Happ and Willson Contreras were hit by pitches earlier in game. In Contreras’ case, it was the 15th time in his career that he’d been hit by the Brewers. The 14th time was in the previous meeting between the two teams, on Thursday. While Thursday’s HBP was pretty clearly unintentional, Contreras was visibly upset.
So, what was the reaction to Saturday’s incident? That varied.
The cubs are up 9-0 and throwing at players…suspend the entire team for a week. That’s just insane. https://t.co/1Zo7LQrw5P
— R&R Cigars (@RandRCigars) April 9, 2022
I like to see a lil fire. Even if it isnt bats… we got some fight. https://t.co/4LzXBVgYBN
— Tony (@MontereyJack3) April 9, 2022
Because the Brewers can’t take what they give https://t.co/XsJDI1pleP
— Adri Schmidt (@Im__The_Schmidt) April 9, 2022
Because the Brewers are soft https://t.co/Fnx0D9cBEM
— Tevan (@Thartman64) April 9, 2022
https://twitter.com/WeeboJoe/status/1512908418348204034
I swear I’ve never seen a team expected to win the division have such an inferiority complex with a team expected to finish last lmaooooo Brewers are so freaking weird. https://t.co/Qyg9OVvSQv
— DrClaw411 (@Drclaw411) April 9, 2022
I miss heat-knicks from the 90s https://t.co/QIFBYh2Jpx
— That one guy (@JakeCopp) April 9, 2022
Of course, we don’t know for sure that Thompson was throwing at McCutchen. But given the history, the score and where the pitch was, it’s highly likely. The umpires agreed, ejecting Thompson from the game.
The rest of the game passed without any major incidents. Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning. But given that it came on a breaking ball, there was no feeling of intent.
The Cubs and Brewers will play again on Sunday and 16 times after that in 2022. So, this incident may be revisited.
