Pete Mackanin on Whether Aaron Nola Should Have Retaliated to Pirates Beanballs

The Pirates have pitched inside all series against the Phillies, which is part of the reason they’ve hit five Phillies batters. Maikel Franco was hit on the left wrist on Friday night, Cameron Rupp was nailed in the head Saturday along with Aaron Nola getting drilled in the hand as well while attempting a sacrifice bunt.

That’s all well and good, according to Phillies manager, Pete Mackanin. “This team, the Pirates, have a tendency to pitch inside,” the skipper said, via The News Journal. “That’s part of their program. I don’t have any issue with that.”

Nor should he. Pitching inside is almost a lost art in baseball because pitchers are afraid to hit batters. Pitchers should never be afraid to hit batters. But when five Phillies batters – who aren’t exactly known for standing extremely close to the plate – are plunked, then you have to send a message back. That’s exactly what Zach Eflin did, drilling Andrew McCutchen on Friday night after Franco was drilled in the first inning. That made the home plate umpire warn both benches, and all was forgotten.

Until Saturday. Cameron Rupp was nailed in the head, but reportedly passed the concussion protocol after he was taken out of the game and, by all accounts, should be fine.

Aaron Nola was hit in the wrist when attempting a sacrifice bunt later in the game, also.

Neither Rupp nor Nola were crowding the plate, so one would imagine Nola would respond, much like Eflin did on Friday night, to send another message. That’s kind of what baseball is. You don’t have to agree with it, but that’s the thought process behind protecting your players and teammates.

Throwing at a Pirates batter apparently never crossed the mind of Nola, who’s struggled in recent outings before the All-Star break. In his first start after the break, a six-inning scoreless outing against the Marlins last Monday, Nola seemed to get his control back. Although Nola looked good in the beginning of the game Saturday, he faltered down the stretch, only able to get through four innings giving up six earned runs.

To be fair, the Pirates pitcher wasn’t much better. Tyler Glasnow was wild himself, and would eventually come out of the game with a shoulder injury. So automatically thinking the pitches at Rupp and Nola were intentional may be a little unfair. But with Franco, Andres Blanco and Tommy Joseph getting drilled on Friday night, it sounds like Mackanin wanted Nola to send a message.

Mackanin said it’s up to Nola to retaliate. When asked if he considered retaliating, Nola explained he wanted to throw strikes and “to get in and out as quick as possible.”
 
If they want to pitch inside, we can pitch inside too. However, today I have an issue – if you’re going to pitch inside and you hit a guy in the head, you shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t be here.”

In Nola’s situation, it’s entirely understandable from his point of view to “get in and out as quick as possible.” But there’s also something to be said for sticking up for your teammates when the opposing pitchers keep lighting them up with bruises. Baseball’s a weird game. Many unwritten rules, whether they’re good or bad.

I like that Mackanin leaves it in the hands of the players to make that decision. If he was the one to make Nola hit a batter, nobody knows what could have happened. The mound could have been charged and Nola could have gotten injured. There’s always that possibility, which is why I respect letting the player decide what they want to do in that situation. And I love Mackanin throwing shade at Glasnow, who was already being rumored to be sent down to the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate after this start.

Today’s game should be interesting. And because I just typed that, it’ll be the most boring game ever.