The New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates had a benches-clearing incident thanks to Marcus Stroman and John Nogowski.
Stroman is notoriously boisterous, and not afraid to talk some smack when the moment calls for it. Nogowski didn’t take kindly to this after he lined out to end the bottom of the fifth.
The Pirates slugger called out Stroman while walking off the field, leading to a benches-clearing incident that, while serious on the surface, didn’t lead to much actual conflict.
The Pirates won the game, 4-1, so Nogowski got the last laugh. It’s completely reasonable for Stroman to be hyped up after getting a big out. Nogowski’s point was that said out came on a liner that very nearly found a hole to extend Pittsburgh’s lead. Essentially, he’s saying Stroman got lucky.
New York Mets: Marcus Stroman called out John Nogowski after the game
“I was just asking why he was running away after talking all that sh–,” Stroman said postgame while explaining the incident. “He’s just a clown.”
Nogowski isn’t a household name by any means, but this could make him a fan favorite for a Pirates team that hasn’t given Pittsburgh much to cheer for this season. The Bucs are last in the NL Central by a wide margin, sitting at 35-56 even after Friday night’s win, 18 games back of the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.
The Mets, meanwhile, ought to take advantage of series against teams like the lowly Pirates. Losing in Pittsburgh is not a good sign for a team with postseason aspirations.
New York leads the NL East by just three games over the Phillies.