It's probably safe to say Yasiel Puig isn't Pedro Strop's friend.
Tempers flared in the eighth inning of Saturday's contest between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs when a pitch from Strop plunked Puig. Chicago was ahead 5-0 at the time, and Puig immediately took exception to being hit, needing to be held back from Strop while both benches and bullpens emptied.
Hitting Yasiel Puig in the batter's box? Not a great idea. pic.twitter.com/IaeeuSvqy1
— FOX Sports Ohio (@FOXSportsOH) June 29, 2019
Order was quickly restored without punches being thrown, and no one was ejected from either side, though warnings were issued.
But the bad feelings continued after the game when Strop said some harsh words about the mercurial Reds outfielder.
"I told him, 'Why are you talking? You have a chance to do whatever you need to do on the mound. Now you're just screaming,'" the reliever said of Puig after his team's 6-0 win, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN. "It's not a secret he's stupid. He's stupid as f---. I have nothing against him but he's stupid. There's no doubt about it."
Puig, meanwhile, didn't take the bait from Strop postgame.
"What am I supposed to do (when I'm hit by a pitch)? Nothing?" he said, according to WLWT's Brandon Saho. "Going out tomorrow and winning the game is more important than a fight."
Earlier this season, Puig - who has been involved in multiple on-field incidents during his career - was suspended following a benches-clearing fracas between the Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates.
