The Chicago Cubs added insult to injury Monday evening as they overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the Padres 3-2.
Jose Pirela led off the contest with a solo shot on the third pitch of the game thrown by Cubs starter Jon Lester.
Padres infielder Yangervis Solarte then crushed his tenth homer of the season in the third frame to push San Diego’s lead to 2-0.
The Friars looked like they had the ingredients for a victory thanks to those two hits until San Diego catcher Austin Hedges was injured on a controversial play at the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Chicago’s Anthony Rizzo tried to tag from third base when former USD Torero Kris Bryant lined out to centerfield.
Padres outfielder Matt Szczur made the catch and unleashed a bullet towards home that bounced a couple times right on the money to Hedges.
Replays showed the catcher out in front of the plate allowing ample room for the Cubs first baseman to attempt a slide but Rizzo made no attempt to touch home plate and instead barreled right into Hedges with his knees and upper body.
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Hedges held on for the catch and Rizzo was out at home, momentarily preserving the Cubs 2-1 lead at that point in the game.
But the Padres – and many fans on social media – believed it was a dirty play.
The fact that Hedges left the game afterwards with what was later determined to be a right thigh bruise only fuels that fire. Luis Torrens wound up finishing the game behind the plate, and an inning later, the Cubs rallied against reliever Kirby Yates thanks to a home run by Jose Contreras and a double by Albert Almora Jr.
Hedges deflected questions after the game, saying he thought he gave Rizzo a lane to the plate but was just thankful to be able to walk away after the collision.
“I just got the wind knocked out of me,” said Hedges in the clubhouse, while admitting he would have to “take another look” at the collision.
Padres manager Andy Green did not hold back at expressing his disdain for the collision.
“From my perspective,” said a fired up Green, “when a guy hits a guy – that clearly gave him not just gave him half of the plate, he gave him the entire lane to the plate - and he’s probably safe if he slides to the back corner.
That’s where the frustration is. The frustration is that you expect the rule to protect you when you’re out there giving the guy the plate.”
“There needs to be something stronger after that transpires where the commissioner, baseball in general has to do something to be where you actually protect my catcher,” continued Green. “Because right now, it’s open season on him, if all it is - is out at the plate.”
The controversial crash overshadowed another solid outing by Clayton Richard.
The Padres lefty went 6.1 innings and was only charged with two earned runs and five hits.
Richard wound up with a no-decision.
Rookie reliever Phil Maton entered in the 8th inning and once again looked impressive.
The rookie right-hander blew away Cubs rookie Ian Happ with a 94 mile per hour fastball on a full count and finished with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning of work.
Be on the lookout for emotions to erupt the next two days especially when Rizzo steps into the batter’s box against a Friars pitcher.
Jhoulys Chacin takes the mound Tuesday against the Cubs starting at 5:50 p.m. Chicago counters with Mike Montgomery.
