The Cubs suplexed the Pirates at PNC Park on Thursday (CHC 11, PIT 3) and in doing so avoided the sweep while also pulling into a tie with the Brewers atop the NL Central standings.
Along the way, though, the Cubs endured a number of high-and-tight offerings from Pirates starter Jordan Lyles, and after Javier Baez got buzzed on consecutive pitches, Cubs manager Joe Maddon had had enough:
Maddon was ejected for the second time this season, and as you can see much of his anger was directed toward Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle. This, by the way, happened the next inning, after Maddon was run and Lyles had been knocked out of the game:
That scary turn of events no doubt contributed to Maddon's anger. Speaking of which, here's what Maddon said after the game:
Joe Maddon - with an empty glass of red wine on his desk - said Pirates tendency to go up and in has gotten out of hand. Said he “can’t wait” to face Pirates in Chicago next week.
— Will Graves (@WillGravesAP) July 4, 2019
The implication is that payback may be on the agenda when the Pirates and Cubs begin a three-game set at Wrigley on July 12. The Pirates have a fairly strong recent history of working inside, and that has a tendency to rankle opponents -- especially when, accidentally or not, you come near a hitter's head.
Maybe Maddon's just giving Pittsburgh hitters something to think about in advance of this key series, or maybe he's bent on getting a little revenge when the opportunity presents itself.
