Adams shrugs off foul-ball incident with fan

CINCINNATI -- Informed that video of his fall into the stands on Thursday went viral after it was noticed that he nudged someone on his way out, Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams insisted there was no intent in his contact with the fan.

The incident happened at Great American Ball Park in the third inning, when Cincinnati's Chris Heisey popped a ball foul along the first-base line. Adams gave chase and leaned over the tarp to try to make the catch. A fan sitting in the front row reached above Adams and gloved the ball first.

As Adams pulled himself up, he also lightly shoved the fan back with his glove.

"I was in line for it, hit the tarp and I heard it hit his glove," Adams explained after the Cardinals' 7-6 win. "I figured he caught it, because I didn't feel it come into mine. I was just trying to stop from falling in there. They had some pretty good fans on that side. He caught that one, and then the other guy caught the hot shot behind the dugout."

As Adams headed back to his position, the fan gave him the middle finger.

"That's what I heard," Adams said. "I heard the whole section was flipping me off, but I can't let that bother me."

Adams then stated again that there was no intent behind the push.

Asked about the incident postgame, St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said he was unaware of any incidental contact.

"Pushed the fan? He was going after the ball," Matheny said. "He was going into the stands. [He] probably [pushed] trying to keep from going tail over tea kettle into the first row. You don't want to be going into the stands. You have to do what you have to do."