Beanball rocks Bucs’ boat

PITTSBURGH — Wait ’til next year.

Usually that means something different for the Cubs. This time, it’s about the tension with the division-rival Pirates that likely won’t be forgotten soon— by the Pirates’ Sean Rodriguez, anyway — after spilling into a benchclearing incident during the Cubs’ 4-0 wild-card victory.

After Cubs ace Jake Arrieta was hit by a pitch from Tony Watson with two outs in the seventh inning, words were exchanged and the benches quickly emptied.

Along the way, Cubs catcher David Ross’ hand wound up on the neck of an enraged Rodriguez, who then tried to fight Ross and was ejected.

“I was frustrated. The guy choked me, and I couldn’t get to him,” said Rodriguez, the only player ejected. “Our guys held me back out of love as a teammate and to make sure things didn’t escalate.”

Rodriguez gestured to the umpires from the dugout, putting his hands around his throat, and then took his frustration out on a Gatorade cooler.

“I was trying to stop him as he charged me,” Ross said, “and he bent down and my hand went on his throat. It was just one hand. It was a total accident. I get it [how he feels]. But then he swung on me. He may have seen it another way. I was just going out there to calm everything down. It got hairy fast.”

Arrieta, who hit two Pirates batters earlier in the game, said he anticipated being hit when he stepped to the plate in the seventh.

“It’s just one of those situations where you expect Tony to protect his guys,” said Arrieta, adding that his two were unintentional.

Said Watson of the pitch: “It is what it is.”

Both benches were warned, and after the melee subsided, Arrieta stole second base.

Whether any of it results in higher tensions when the teams meet 19 times next season, nobody expects to back down.

“You’re going to stand up for your guys, and they’re going to stand up for their guys,” Ross said.

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