Nate Pearson will always remember his Cubs debut.
This is largely due to a series of controversial and intense events.
Pearson entered the game for the Cubs in the bottom of the seventh inning after his team lost 6-0 to the Reds in Cincinnati.
It was his first time playing for the Chicago Cubs after being acquired from the Blue Jays in a trade on Saturday.
Things started well for the right-handed power bowler, as he worked a perfect opening frame with a power shot, ground stroke and line drive.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell sent Pearson out in the eighth inning and immediately struck out the first batter.
But then he allowed a long shot by former Copa player Jeimer Candelario.
Candelario watched the ball briefly before starting to run, and on the next pitch, Pearson hit Reds ace Tyler Stephenson with a 96 mph fastball. Pearson didn’t look at Candelario as he watched his home run fly into the right-field bleachers.
Stevenson was a little upset by the behaviour, and showed some frustration, with several Reds players jumping to the top step of the pitch. But it did not escalate into a player removal incident from the bench.
As Stephenson walked to first base, the umpires gathered together and ultimately decided to remove Pearson from the game.
The decision angered Counsell, who walked off the field to argue with the umpires that nothing about the hit to the ball was intentional, and questioned why his pitcher had been sent off.
“Look, it’s not good for men to get hit on the head.” The advisor said“Not good at all. Their team and our team are not good. There is no intention of that.”
[Catch the entire sequence on the Marquee Sports Network app]
Both teams received a warning after the incident.
Pearson said he was trying to send a two-seam fastball inside at Stevenson but the ball slipped.
“It all happened so fast,” Pearson said. “It wasn’t my intention at all. I certainly didn’t try to do it in my first game as a Cubs player.”
With Pearson gone, Drew Smyly came in and got the last 2 runs of the inning.
The match ended with the Cubs losing 7-1.
More Stories
Bowl Games 2024-25: Odds and predictions for the bracket and the most exciting matchups on the schedule | News, scores, highlights, stats, and rumors
Winning the Carabao Cup does not allow Manchester United players off the hook
Yankees fans who tackled Mookie Betts were banned from World Series Game 5