Chicago Cubs manager David Ross had to separate catcher Willson Contreras and first baseman Anthony Rizzo during an argument in the dugout.
The Chicago Cubs are in danger of being swept by the San Francisco Giants to start their California road trip, and it’s clear some players are frustrated.
Manager David Ross had to step in between Willson Contreras and Anthony Rizzo when they argued in the dugout during Friday night’s 8-5 loss.
It started when Contreras angrily shed his catcher’s equipment and Rizzo had words for his teammate. The exchange got heated enough for Ross to move Rizzo across the dugout to separate the two players.
David Ross, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras want to move on
It’s not known exactly what the argument was about. After the game, Ross and Rizzo downplayed the significance, passing it off as just one of those things that happens between teammates.
“That’s just part of the family atmosphere you get in baseball, guys competing at the highest level and trying to continue to fight,” Ross said per the AP. “Sometimes, you’re not going to see eye-to-eye. We’ve got a close-knit group. I don’t think it’s anything that’s a huge deal or anything I’m extremely worried about.”
Rizzo complimented the passion of his teammate but stressed the idea of moving on.
“I love Willson. The way he plays for this team, for our city, you can’t match it in this league,” Rizzo said. “It’s just one of those incidents. In any working environment, you’re going to run into things here and there. It happened, it was on television, unfortunately, but it’s easy for us to move on.”
The Giants grabbed their second straight win over the Cubs on the strength of four home runs. Chicago took an early lead when Kris Bryant hit a two-run homer.
However, San Francisco punished Jake Arrieta with six runs on a single and two home runs in the second inning. They added two more moon blasts in the fourth inning to build their advantage.