Archer Throws Behind Dietrich, Reds and Pirates Benches Clear, A Breakdown

Apr 7, 2019 1.3M views 2:22
MLB Cincinnati Reds 2019

What Happened

On April 7, 2019, the Reds and Pirates got into it at PNC Park after Chris Archer threw behind Derek Dietrich's back. It started innocently enough: Archer came inside to establish the corner, then Dietrich crushed the next pitch for a long home run and admired it on the way out of the box. The next time Dietrich came up, Archer's first pitch sailed behind him. Umpires issued warnings, both benches emptied, and Yasiel Puig charged in looking for somebody to fight while teammates tried to corral him.

Why This Matters

This was the bat-flip culture war playing out in real time. Dietrich's crime was watching a no-doubt homer too long, and Archer answered the old-school way by throwing at him. Here's the twist on the rule: after warnings are issued, a pitcher who plunks a hitter gets ejected, but Archer's pitch missed, so the umps warned both sides instead of tossing him. That's why Reds manager David Bell flipped out. Dietrich, oddly, was the one ejected for arguing. Puig became the lasting image, slipping past Tucker Barnhart and Joey Votto to keep charging. The Reds traded Puig that July, so this brief stretch of him fighting for Cincinnati turned into a footnote. Bench-clearing baseball brawls almost never produce punches, and this one stayed true to form.

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Key Moments

Related Breakdowns

Who / What Is Involved

Players: Derek Dietrich, Chris Archer. Teams: Reds, Pirates.

Derek DietrichChris Archer

Key Terms Mentioned

Bench Clearing BrawlHome RunUmpire Controversy

Full Transcript

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the Reds and pirates got a little

scuffle today I've taken a look at the

tape this is what we got the first pitch

in the at-bat to Dietrich Archer tries

to establish the inside