Benches Clear After López Near Miss to McCutchen

During Wednesday night's game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals, tensions erupted after Nationals pitcher Jorge López nearly hit Andrew McCutchen in the head with a pitch, shortly after hitting Bryan Reynolds. The benches cleared and López was ejected, later apologizing and attributing the incident to delivery struggles rather than intent. Pirates manager Derek Shelton and McCutchen both highlighted the dangers of pitches near the head, noting a prior incident where Paul DeJong was hit in the face. Outfielder Tommy Pham was especially vocal in defending McCutchen during the confrontation. After play resumed, Oneil Cruz hit a grand slam, sealing a 6-1 win for the Pirates. With another game scheduled for Thursday, there are concerns about potential further incidents or MLB discipline.