Nats pitcher Jorge López ejected after pitch narrowly misses Andrew McCutchen’s head, benches clear

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Washington Nationals pitcher Jorge López was ejected from Wednesday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after a pitch near Andrew McCutchen’s head led to the benches briefly clearing.

In the seventh inning, López hit the previous batter Bryan Reynolds with a pitch before facing McCutchen, who had to fall to the ground to avoid getting hit by a 92 mph ball near his head.

As the umpires gathered to discuss the incident, McCutchen and López started arguing, which caused both benches to empty. Pirates outfielder Tommy Pham was also seen yelling while being held back by teammate Oneil Cruz.

Cruz hit a grand slam later in the inning off Eduardo Salazar to give the Pirates a 6-0 lead. Pittsburgh won 6-1.

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen, left, is retrained by Oneil Cruz as benches cleared after Washington Nationals pitcher Jorge López nearly hit McCutchen with a high inside pitch during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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