MLB suspended Washington Nationals pitcher Jorge Lopez for three games after intentionally throwing a pitch at Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen during a recent game. The incident led to a benches-clearing brawl in the seventh inning, resulting in Nationals manager Dave Martinez also receiving a one-game ban.
Lopez threw a high and inside fastball at McCutchen, almost hitting him in the head, leading to the ejection of Lopez, who had previously hit another Pirates player. The altercation followed a previous incident where a Pirates pitcher hit a Nationals player in the head. Despite the loss and the suspension, Lopez has struggled this season with a 10.57 ERA in eight appearances. The Nationals and Pirates continued their series, with the Pirates holding a lead and both teams moving on to face other opponents in their upcoming games.