Why was Jorge Lopez suspended? All you need to know about the Nationals and Pirates' heated exchange

Washington Nationals Pitcher Jorge Lopez, Catcher Keibert Ruiz, & Pittsburgh Pirates Slugger Andrew McCutchen

The Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates met on Wednesday for the third of their four-game series. With the series tied 1-1, whoever won this contest would have the edge going into Thursday's finale.

However, things got chippy between the two teams. Nationals pitcher Jorge Lopez first plunked Bryan Reynolds. Then, he almost hit Andrew McCutchen in the head after he came up to the plate as the next batter.

That led to both benches clearing. MLB later suspended Lopez for three games and handed him a fine.

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The league also decided to suspend Nationals manager Dave Martinez for one game, which he will serve on Thursday.

When asked about the situation afterward, Lopez told reporters that he was not trying to throw at Reynolds or McCutchen.

Lopez has struggled early on this season. Before the game in Pittsburgh, he was coming off a rough outing against the Miami Marlins, where he gave up three runs in an inning.

Lopez ended up apologizing for his actions on Wednesday night.

Pirates slugger Oneil Cruz goes deep to seal the win against the Nationals

Pittsburgh Pirates - Oneil Cruz (Photo via IMAGN)

After the benches cleared and both sides got back to the game, it did not take long for the Pirates to open up their lead. With the bases loaded, Oneil Cruz stepped up to the plate and did not disappoint.

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He struck his third home run of the season, but it was the first grand slam of the slugger's career, sending an absolute shot over the right field fence.

Cruz made the score 6-0 and the Pirates went on to win the game 6-1.

The following day, Cruz hit a towering 442-foot home run to right field off Nationals starter Trevor Williams to take his tally to four home runs.

Pittsburgh sits in last place in the National League Central and needs someone to flip the switch.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom