Major League Baseball suspended Washington Nationals pitcher Jorge Lopez for three games and manager Dave Martinez for one after it determined Lopez intentionally threw at Pittsburgh Pirates veteran Andrew McCutchen on Wednesday.
Martinez will serve his suspension Thursday. Lopez is appealing.
Both also were fined an undisclosed amount.
With the Pirates up 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh with two runners on and two out, the 1-1 pitch from Lopez sailed past the head of the 38-year-old McCutchen. Both benches emptied but order was quickly restored and Lopez was ejected.
McCutchen wound up walking to load the bases, and Oneil Cruz followed with his first career grand slam to lead the Pirates to a 6-1 win.
“I apologize for everything,” Lopez said after his ejection. “I didn’t make any pitch (on purpose) right there. … I tried to do my adjustment. I’ve been trying to find my way with my delivery, I tried to find my way through the whole season. And it’s really miserable that happened. I regret what just happened.”
–Field Level Media
