Thursday evening’s matchup at Comerica Park spiraled further out of control during the doubleheader between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers. The game was locked in a 4-4 tie in the ninth inning when it was abruptly halted because of weather conditions. However, even before that, things got heated on the field and in the stands. At the center of it was the Pirates’ reliever David Santana.

Santana found himself in a heated confrontation with a fan who was seated right above the bullpen and had been loudly ridiculing the players.

It immediately infuriated Santana, who walked towards the fan, jumped up and tried to take a swing at the fan. Soon enough, as his teammates took notice, they rushed over and escorted Santana straight to the clubhouse. The game still continued and the Tigers eventually secured the 9-2 win against the Pirates in the first game of the doubleheader.

The clip of this incident quickly made its way to the internet and went viral. The Pirates, however, are yet to issue an official statement about the incident.

Coming to Santana, he’s currently in his eighth major league season. With the Pirates, it’s just his second season. Across 31 appearances, he has recorded a stunning 1.74 ERA with 25 strikeouts. He’s usually grabbing the headlines for his impressive numbers but this time it’s different.

Pirates vs Tigers intensity: Dennis Santana opened up about the heated exchange

In the aftermath of the heated confrontation during the doubleheader at Comerica Park, Santana opened up about the incident. Via interpreter, he revealed that the incident unfolded during the seventh inning of the game 2.

He refused to share more details about how exactly the heated exchange was sparked. He started off by expressing, “you guys know me. I’m a calm-demeanor type of person.” Further, he added, “I’ve never had any issues for any of the teams that I’ve played for. I guess the guy crossed the line a few times and I would not like to get into it.”

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette questioned Santana if the heated exchange was ignited by a single moment or a series of heckling. Instead of diving deep into details, Santana again decided to draw a line. “You know my temper. I’m a calm person. They crossed the line a few times. I would like to leave it at that.”

Later in the game, during the ninth inning when the score was tied at 4-4, Santana pitched and got the first out. Across 32 appearances, his ERA now sits at 1.72.

To your surprise, that fan ejection wasn’t the only ejection that happened at the game. There was another fan trouble. Reportedly, three fans were sitting behind the home plate during the 10th inning. Somehow, they got involved in a separate incident with the Pirates infielder Tommy Pham. Soon enough, they were ejected too.

The Tigers stacked the win in the first game, but in the second game, despite all the tension, the Pirates won 8-4. The star pitcher Paul Skenes struck out nine across six innings.

While the doubleheader ended in a split, the Tigers secured two out of three games in their favor, ultimately winning the series. They continue to top the AL Central with their 48-28 record.

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