It was an exchange of words that didn't conclude at the end of the game.
In the bottom of the fifth, with two outs, John Nogowski struck a ball well, but right at Mets first baseman Pete Alonso for the final out of the inning. With the Pirates clinging to a one-run lead, it stranded a runner in scoring position.
Stroman celebrated. Nogowski thought it was directed toward him. The two started trading words.
Then they continued to talk much closer to one another. And things escalated from there:
Benches have cleared at the end of the 5th inning after John Nogowski & Marcus Stroman exchanged words. pic.twitter.com/ZDhqALUdjd
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 17, 2021
Postgame, Stroman had more to say.
"He's just a clown," Stroman said. "[Mets reliever] Drew Smith told me was a clown. He's a clown. He knows I wasn't talking any s— to him. You can look at the video: I put my head down and looked right at our dugout, literally put my head down and started walking to the dugout, and he proceeded to run his mouth."
"I'll never let anyone talk down on me, no man," he added. "I'm not scared of anybody."
Stroman did his postgame Zoom first, but Nogowski had not heard the Mets' right-hander's comments before he got in front of the camera. Not that he much cared.
"I’m not too concerned about it, man," Nogowski said with a smile. "We got the win."
Make it a 4-1 Pirates win over the Mets Friday night at PNC Park. It's the second time the Pirates beat Stroman this week, the other being in the first game of last Saturday's doubleheader at Citi Field.
During the at-bat that led to the benches-clearing incident, Stroman had been exchanging words with home plate umpire Larry Vanover about a couple calls over the course of the at-bat.
"I think Stroman yelled something not at Vanover, but just yelling," Mets catcher James McCann said. "Nogowski thought he was yelling at him. Honestly, just a big miscommunication."
Nogowski clarified that he didn't take exception to Stroman celebrating the out.
"He’s a grown man. He can act the way he wants to," Nogowski said. "That was a big spot in the game. Guys want to get you out, that means you’re doing well. I want guys to want to get me out. That was a big spot in the game. I had no problem with the way that he was celebrating or anything like that. That was a huge out for his team to try and keep them in the game there."
Neither player was ejected for the incident, although Stroman did not return to pitch the sixth. He was up to 92 pitches and was seen briskly jogging to the dugout after appearing to be doubled over on the field once things cooled down.
Cameras caught Stroman and Nogowski continuing to talk at least toward each other in the top of the sixth, but with no further escalation.
And who knows, maybe it wasn't even a conversation.
"I don’t even remember. Were we talking? I don’t know," Nogowski said. "I have some friends over there that I was probably laughing with and stuff like that."
In the ninth, McCann reached first base and he and Nogowski cleared some air, with Nogowski saying he didn't have anything against the Mets. Outside of the four-game series the two teams played right before the All-Star break, there really isn't an opportunity for either team to develop bad blood.
But when things began to escalate on the field, the Pirates' bench was quick to react, with Ben Gamel and Adam Frazier getting there first to defend a player acquired just two weeks ago.
"I think it just speaks to the culture we're trying to create here," Derek Shelton said. "These guys [have] got each other's back, regardless if a guy has been here two days or maybe five years, and I think you really saw that in a group today."
Just as important is how the team continued to respond from there. In the sixth, reliever Chris Stratton stranded a pair of inherited runners to keep it a one-run game. Bryan Reynolds made a diving catch in left-center to keep a run off the board. In the home half of the inning, Wilmer Difo put a charge into a ball that cleared the seats in right field:
"It made some type of difference, especially with the benches clearing out like that and the adrenaline's going up," Difo said through translator Mike Gonzalez. "Everyone's feeling the adrenaline. It just ignited a level of competition that was much needed, not only in the game but especially in our dugout."
Reynolds tacked on a solo shot the following inning, and David Bednar and Richard Rodríguez closed things out in the eighth and ninth, respectively.
For a team looking to do better than the 34-56 record it compiled over the first half of the season, Friday was at least a good first step out of the All-Star break, and the third time the Pirates have defeated the first-place Mets in their past four games.
One more would give them a series win over an above-.500 opponent, something that has only happened once (against the Indians from June 18-20) since early April.
"I’m trying to win the series tomorrow, and then focus on the next day," Nogowski said. "That’s my only concern and all I’m really worried about."
JUSTIN BERL / GETTY
Wilmer Difo rounds third after his homer.
MORE FROM THE GAME
• Kevin Newman's errorless streak is over. In his 76th game of the season, he was charged with his first error after flubbing a Jeff McNeil grounder to the other side of second base.
It was the longest streak in National League history for a shortstop to start his season without committing an error.
Ironically, the day with his worst defensive play of the season also had what likely was his best. With a runner on first in the top of the eighth, Newman was able to make a ranging play to his left and go against his body to toss it to Frazier, who made a barehanded snag for the force at second:
"I think it shows to how hard he's worked on his defense, and he didn't let one play dictate how he was gonna play," Shelton said.
• Chad Kuhl had control problems throughout the game, walking five over five innings, but only allowed one unearned run and got the win.
He also had to deal with a 39-minute rain delay, which is about the worst amount of time for a pitcher to be sitting because he didn't get to throw in between to stay ready.
"We didn’t really know how long it was going to be and we were beginning on offense to begin with, so it was just one of those awkward rain delays," Kuhl said. "... You’ve just got to stay mentally ready.”
"The fact that he was to able to come back and compete, execute pitches, get double-plays, I think really shows a growth moment for him," Shelton said.
Kuhl allowed two hits and struck out three.
• Before the game, the Pirate recalled right-hander Nick Mears. He is taking the place of Sam Howard, who was placed on the injured list during the All-Star break with a right oblique strain.
Shelton said before the game that it was something that was lingering with Howard.
"He was having some issues in his delivery with it," Shelton said.
The Pirates also activated Phillip Evans off the concussion injured list and optioned Cole Tucker to the minors.
In draft news, the club announced its first five signings. More on that here.
THE ESSENTIALS
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Adam Frazier, 2B
2. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
3. Bryan Reynolds, CF
4. Ben Gamel, LF
5. John Nogowski, 1B
6. Wilmer Difo, RF
7. Jacob Stallings, C
8. Kevin Newman, SS
9. Chad Kuhl, RHP
And for Luis Rojas's Mets:
1. Brandon Nimmo, CF
2. Francisco Lindor, SS
3. Dominic Smith, LF
4. Pete Alonso, 1B
5. Jeff McNeil, 2B
6. Michael Conforto, RF
7. Jonathan Villar, 3B
8. James McCann, C
9. Marcus Stroman, RHP
THE SCHEDULE
The Pirates and Mets will continue their home-and-home seven-game series Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Wil Crowe (1-5, 6.05) will take the bump against Tylor Megill (0-0, 3.50).
IN THE SYSTEM
THE CONTENT
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