Apparently, if baseball does not ban it in writing, teams will test the line. The Cubs were already cruising toward what looked like an easy win, but instead of letting the game stay simple, the fifth inning turned into a full-blown mess as sign-stealing accusations sent both dugouts into a shouting match.

The Diamondbacks thought Cubs third-base coach Quintin Berry was peeking at Merrill Kelly’s glove to steal pitch information, and they were not subtle about calling it out. But the real spectacle came from Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, whose furious dugout meltdown quickly became the moment everyone was talking about.

“No, no no…No. F*** you! F*** you!” Cubs podcaster Brendan Miller quoted Flaherty in the Cubs’ dugout.

In the fifth inning, with Merrill Kelly on the mound and Michael Busch at the plate, the Diamondbacks finally had enough. Arizona’s dugout started barking across the field, convinced Cubs third-base coach Quintin Berry was trying to peek into Kelly’s glove and steal pitch information.

At first, it was just yelling. Then Kelly stared Berry down, and that was all it took for both dugouts to erupt into a full-blown shouting match.

“We just thought he was relaying signs. We thought he had something on my change-up. Every time I was throwing a change-up, we felt like he was relaying that. Stealing signs is as old as baseball, but I think it’s a little bullshit when it comes from a coach,” said Kelly after the game. “If it’s a guy on second base and they see the grip in your glove, or if the hitters can see something that you’re doing with your glove, I think that’s fair game. I think it’s a little bush league when it comes from outside that. Inside the lines is one thing. I think it should stay between the players.”

This is hardly the first time the Cubs have found themselves in the middle of a sign-stealing accusation. Back in the 2016 NLCS, the Dodgers accused Ben Zobrist of reading signs from second base and tipping pitches to Addison Russell, only for Joe Maddon and Zobrist to laugh it off.

Then in 2002, the Cardinals’ pitching coach Dave Duncan accused the Cubs of relaying signs that contributed to a Sammy Sosa home run. This time, the incident didn’t escalate further, and the Cubs went on to stay in the playoff race.

And that history is exactly why Arizona’s frustration this time did not come out of nowhere, but still, Kelly’s line was clear.

Players reading grips is fair game, but coaches doing it crosses the line. That is why Arizona erupted after believing Berry had picked up Kelly’s changeup and was tipping Cubs hitters.

That was when Torey Lovullo joined the chaos, barking toward the Cubs dugout as Arizona pushed the sign-stealing accusation. Ryan Flaherty was not interested in hearing it. The Cubs bench coach fired back immediately, then turned the exchange even uglier with a string of expletives.

“Quintin Berry, the third base coach, sometimes you can sneak up there far enough to look into the pitcher as he puts a ball in his glove and maybe determine what’s coming. Remember, those coaches are under strict rules. They have to remain in the boxes,” said the broadcaster.

Well, Base coaches were required to stay inside their coaching boxes while the pitcher was on the rubber, with repeated violations potentially leading to an ejection.

But before the fifth-inning chaos took over, the game had been a tight pitchers’ duel.

From the 1st to 4th inning, the game stayed tight. Neither side scored in the first before Chicago broke through in the second when Pedro Ramírez tripled down the right-field line to bring Ian Happ home and make it 1-0. After that, Merrill Kelly and Kevin Gausman traded scoreless frames through the third and fourth as the Cubs held onto the slim lead.

The fifth inning is where the game finally boiled over. Once things settled down, Michael Conforto reached base against Kelly, and Seiya Suzuki ripped an RBI double off the left-field wall to bring him home and push Chicago’s lead to 2-0.

From the sixth inning onward, Chicago completely took over. Merrill Kelly was pulled with two outs in the sixth after allowing three runs over 5.2 innings, and Taylor Clarke came in from the bullpen. That did not slow the Cubs down.

Michael Conforto jumped on Clarke for a two-run homer to right field, bringing Pedro Ramírez home and stretching the lead to 4-0. Carson Kelly then followed with a solo shot to left, making it 5-0 and turning what had been a tense game into a comfortable Cubs advantage.

Chicago kept pressing in the seventh. Michael Busch reached base and later scored when Ian Happ drove a double into right field, while Alex Bregman advanced to third on the play. Nico Hoerner then lifted a sacrifice fly to right, allowing Bregman to tag and score. Just like that, the Cubs had added two more runs and pushed the lead to 7-0.

By the eighth, the game was essentially out of reach. Ryan Zeferjahn took over after Kevin Gausman’s seven scoreless innings and retired Arizona without allowing a run, keeping the shutout intact. The Diamondbacks still had no offensive answer after managing just three hits against Gausman.

Caleb Thielbar handled the ninth and finished the job. Arizona picked up two more hits in the final frame but still could not push a run across.

Thielbar closed out the 7-0 win, sealing a five-hit shutout and completing a dominant finish for Chicago after the fifth-inning drama.

And the shutout was no fluke. Chicago’s pitching had already been building serious momentum.

The Cubs’ pitching is making all the right noise

On Sunday, the Cubs piled up 19 runs against the Mariners, and their pitchers allowed only 2 runs. On Monday, the D-Backs went scoreless. Kevin Gausman started the game for the Cubs. He threw seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out six batters. On Sunday, it was Shota Imanaga who started the game and allowed just one run.

Aaron Civale took over and pitched 4.0 innings, allowing nothing in exchange for two strikeouts.

Just when the postseason is a few weeks away, the Cubs’ pitching is looking dominant. What makes it more special is that the Cubs are doing it with Justin Steele and Cade Horton on the Injury List.

Despite losing Steele and Horton to season-ending injuries, the Cubs’ front office and coaching staff completely restructured the staff to vault the team firmly into a playoff position.

Acquired in back-to-back days in early August, Gausman and Clay Holmes brought immediate stability to the top of the rotation. Holmes has adapted seamlessly, notably tossing five perfect innings in his second start.

Let’s now see if this momentum can be carried till October.