CHICAGO -- Yohan Ramírez induced a key 5-4-3 double play to preserve the Pirates' 4-1 lead at the end of the seventh inning. Then, the benches and bullpens cleared at Rate Field Wednesday night.
White Sox second baseman Sam Antonacci popped up and threw a bit of his elbow at the end of his slide at second base as Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe turned the double play. Lowe took exception to the slide on his follow-through, as Antonacci and Lowe jawed back and forth at each other.
No ejections were made and both sides were given warnings. The Pirates held on for a 4-2 victory.
“I just didn't like the slide. Said my piece and walked away,” Lowe said. “I don't really know what led to it clearing, but bad slide the first night, bad slide tonight, and just kind of tired of it… He said something back. I reiterated what I said, and then I thought that was the end of it, and just kind of walked and went about my business, and then saw our guys coming out, and next thing I know, they were clear.”
Antonacci saw things differently.
“Just to try to make a harder throw for him to have to make,” Antonacci said. “Completely legal play. If you go look at the rulebook or go look at what happened, you can slide as late as you want as long as you keep contact with the bag and that's exactly what happened.
“... Here, we're trying to get a run in any way we can. That's a close ballgame, these are playoff games and all I'm trying to do is scratch a run there. I'm sure he's a great guy, but he had a few choice words to say at the end and then kind of walked away after that. When you have a problem and you walk away like that, I'm happy enough to have a conversation, but you can't walk away. He's a grown man. With all that being said, they won the game. They get the last laugh, I guess you could say.”
Third baseman Jared Triolo took a turn toward Antonacci and the benches cleared with the bullpens running in. Pirates manager Don Kelly said he didn’t see it at the time and was more so fortunate with turning the double play.
Triolo candidly added that he didn’t see what happened, but assumed it had something to do with the slide. When he saw Antonacci talking, he went out to see what was going on.
Lowe didn’t like the late slide but also noted that Antonacci made slight contact with his elbow as he popped up. Antonacci said he’s had trouble with his left arm popping up when sliding with his right leg, but reiterated his stance on a legal slide.
“I mean, we’ve seen it a couple of times before. Obviously Sammy goes out there and plays extremely hard,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “I wouldn’t say anything he does is dirty, but you understand when guys play hard and there’s contact. At this point, Sammy is probably developing a reputation [as someone] who goes out and plays hard and puts his body on the line.”
Once order was restored, Billy Cook was hit by a wild slider from Trevor Richards in the top of the eighth. Both sides perked up from the dugout but didn’t cause any more trouble.
Scott Merkin also contributed reporting to this story.