Things got a little spicy in Detroit on Thursday night—and no, we’re not just talking about the weather delay. During the second game of a doubleheader between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Detroit Tigers, Pirates reliever Dennis Santana nearly brought the bullpen action to the stands.
And let me tell you, this wasn’t just your typical back-and-forth chirping between fans and players. Nope—this one almost crossed the line from verbal to very physical.
Pirates Bullpen Boils Over
It all went down at Comerica Park. Santana, stationed in the bullpen like any other reliever waiting for his moment, suddenly decided he’d had enough of one particularly vocal fan.
This fan, who was sitting in the seats above the Pirates’ bullpen, was reportedly giving the players an earful—nothing new there, but this time, Santana wasn’t just going to sit there and take it. He walked over, pointed right at the guy, jumped up, and took what witnesses describe as a swipe at the fan. As in, “You’re about to catch these hands” energy.
Teammates quickly stepped in and pulled Santana away, ushering him into the clubhouse before things got completely out of control. The Pirates, as of now, have not commented on the incident—likely still figuring out how to handle the optics of one of their top relievers going full WWE ringside.
Fan Ejected, Questions Remain
According to reports, the Tigers reported that the fan was escorted away from the stadium. So whatever was said—or yelled—from the stands crossed a line in the eyes of security. Still, that doesn’t make Santana’s reaction any less shocking. MLB players are expected to take a fair amount of heat from fans—it’s part of the gig. But when a guy physically reacts, it opens up a whole new can of worms.
And we’re not talking about a benchwarmer losing his cool here. Santana’s been around the league for eight seasons. He’s in his second year with the Pirates, and this season, he’s been dealing—sporting a 1.74 ERA over 31 appearances, with 25 strikeouts to his name. That kind of performance usually puts a guy in the spotlight for all the right reasons. Thursday night? Not so much.
Weather Delay Adds to the Chaos
To top off the night, severe weather put the second game on hold in the ninth inning, with the teams tied at four. The Pirates had already dropped the first game 9–2, so tensions were likely high. Add in some heckling, a possible personal jab from the stands, and a long day at the park, and that’s a cocktail for players temper to boil over.
For now, the ball’s in MLB’s court. Will there be fines and suspensions or a quiet “let’s move on” from the league office? One thing’s for sure though, this moment isn’t going away anytime soon. And for Dennis Santana, no matter how many strikeouts he racks up this season, this incident might follow him longer than any box score.
