Locke accuses Arrieta of throwing at Pirates
Jeff Locke would like to have a word with Jake Arrieta.
The Pittsburgh Pirates starter believes the reigning NL Cy Young winner drilled his teammate Jung Ho Kang intentionally during the fourth inning of the Chicago Cubs' 8-2 win on Saturday.
"I think anytime someone like Arrieta hits somebody you have to assume, automatically, that that one just didn't get away," Locke said, according to Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "When he misses like that maybe you raise an eyebrow. ...
"It just seems like a guy like that, with the pinpoint accuracy he has, he doesn't miss in."
Locke's words come on the heels of a heated series between the NL Central rivals in Pittsburgh earlier in May, when Kyle Lobstein's plunking of Ben Zobrist earned him a scolding from Cubs manager Joe Maddon. The benches also cleared in last year's NL Wild Card Game between the teams, which Arrieta started as well.
Related - Maddon: We're not going to tolerate beanballs
On Saturday, both teams received warnings from home plate umpire Brian Knight after Locke hit Miguel Montero in the sixth inning. Locke vehemently denied intentionally throwing at Montero in defense of Kang's hit-by-pitch.
"I don't see where he could feel there is any intent on that pitch. Eight hole. 0-2 pitch. Pitcher on deck," Locke said.
Montero didn't address his beaning, but did deny Arrieta threw at Kang.
"Come on, really? You guys see him, he was wild. He walked the pitcher on four pitches," the catcher said. "Seriously, that's stupid to say. He doesn't want to hit him. I guarantee that he doesn't want to hit him."
Though the teams' rivalry appears to be growing in intensity, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle wants his side to focus on besting the Cubs on the scoreboard, not seeking revenge through beanballs.
"If you're not appreciative of something someone else does, you just beat them," he said.