A fake tag and a purpose pitch led to some on-field antics between Washington’s Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates back in 2016 in PNC Park though the protagonists in that bench-clearing altercation (Jung Ho Kang and A.J. Cole) were playing elsewhere when there was a flare-up of hostilities between the two teams again last night.
This time it was Nationals’ outfielder Adam Eaton and Pirates’ catcher Francisco Cervelli who got in each other’s faces after Eaton had words with the home plate umpire over a pitch that was called a strike in spite of its location.