Should the Reds have retaliated?

White Sox Pitcher Davis Martin Ejected After Hitting Sal Stewart in Head

Tensions boiled over Thursday afternoon after Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin hit Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart in the head with a fastball, causing both benches and bullpens to empty at Rate Field.

The incident came during Stewart’s second plate appearance in the top of the third inning. With the count at 0-1, Martin threw a fastball well above Stewart’s head and all the way to the backstop. Martin immediately tapped his chest to indicate that the pitch had gotten away from him, and Stewart acknowledged the apology with a thumbs-up.

Martin’s very next pitch, however, again sailed dangerously high and inside. Stewart attempted to move out of the way, but the 92-mph fastball struck the bill of his helmet and knocked it off his head.

An angry Stewart pointed the knob of his bat toward Martin and held up two fingers, appearing to tell the pitcher that he had thrown two consecutive pitches near his head. White Sox catcher Edgar Quero quickly stepped between Stewart and the mound while players poured out of both dugouts and bullpens.

No punches were thrown, but several players exchanged words during the confrontation. Reds veteran Eugenio Suárez was among the most vocal players and could be seen approaching Martin before the two teams were separated.

After the situation calmed down, home-plate umpire and crew chief Alan Porter met with the other three umpires. Following a brief discussion, Porter ejected Martin from the game despite no previous warning being issued.

The circumstances surrounding the incident made it difficult for the umpiring crew to overlook. Stewart had crushed a Statcast-projected 419-foot home run off Martin during the first inning and watched the ball briefly before beginning his trip around the bases. During Stewart’s next plate appearance, Martin threw consecutive pitches near his head, with the second one hitting him.

Porter explained after the game that the umpires believed they needed to remove Martin to protect the players and prevent the situation from escalating.

“At that point, we needed to do what we needed to do to keep the game safe,” Porter said. “Intentionally throwing at a batter is grounds for an immediate ejection.”

Reds manager Terry Francona was much more direct when discussing the incident after Cincinnati’s 9-8 victory.

“I thought that was extremely blatant,” Francona said. “You can’t throw two balls like that head-high. You can kill somebody. I thought that was terrible.”

Stewart said he could not determine whether Martin was intentionally throwing at him, but described the sequence as frightening.

“You kind of black out a bit when they go up at your head,” Stewart said. “I know he apologized after the first one, and things happen. Maybe it slipped. But then the very next pitch came right back at my face. More than anything, it was just a scary moment.”

Martin strongly denied intentionally hitting Stewart. The White Sox right-hander said both pitches were supposed to be fastballs down and away, but he lost his grip while dealing with a blister on his middle finger.

“The first one went over his head, I made eye contact and said, ‘My bad,’” Martin said. “I have no intention of doing that. And then the second one, we were trying to drive a fastball down and away, which is a good reset for me, and then I just lost it again.”

Martin said he understood why Stewart and the Reds reacted the way they did, acknowledging the danger created by two pitches in the same location.

“You go up and in twice, it’s a dangerous spot,” Martin said. “So I understand it.”

The White Sox pointed to Martin’s command problems as evidence that the pitches were not intentional. He had already hit Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson in the first inning and sent multiple pitches to the backstop before facing Stewart in the third. Martin also said the blister had developed after the second inning and affected his ability to grip the baseball.

Still, the combination of Stewart’s first-inning home run and the two consecutive pitches near his head was enough for Porter and the umpiring crew to act.

Martin was charged with four earned runs after allowing four hits and hitting three batters in two-plus innings. Chicago was forced to bring Erick Fedde into the game unexpectedly, and the Reds quickly took advantage.

Cincinnati scored four runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by Stephenson’s three-run home run, to reclaim an 8-4 lead. The White Sox rallied late, but the Reds held on for a 9-8 victory to win the series.

Stewart finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, a hit-by-pitch, two RBIs and four runs scored. After being hit in the helmet, he remained in the game and delivered an RBI single during Cincinnati’s four-run fourth inning.