Pirates, Blue Jays benches clear after four-pitch walk, but cooler heads prevail: 'It was super weird'

Usually when benches clear during a Major League Baseball game, it's in response to an obvious provocation: a hit batsman or a display of unsportsmanlike conduct. That wasn't the case during the seventh inning of the Pirates' victory against the Blue Jays (box score) on Monday night. Rather, Pittsburgh outfielder Tommy Pham and Toronto catcher Tyler Heineman caused the dugouts to empty after -- of all things -- an unintentional four-pitch walk.

Here's a look at the scene:

As you can see, Pham flipped his bat and started toward first base after taking ball four. He then doubled back, seemingly after Heineman took offense to the razzmatazz. The two traded barbs, but nothing further before order was restored. After the game, Heineman seemed as mystified as anyone as to what, precisely, had sparked the incident.

"It was weird, man," Heineman told reporters. "It was weird. It was unprovoked and super weird. I wouldn't have said anything, but I didn't really like how he flipped the bat on a four-pitch walk. Little weird. Then he looked right back at me. The video can probably tell you everything, but you're probably just as confused as I am."

Pham, meanwhile, sent out the following message in response to a reporter's social media post: "[Complaining] about a ball not being called a strike to the umpire when it's clearly below the zone and away is disrespectful not only to the umpire but the hitter as well so like I said when I flipped the bat [f---] him."

The pitch in question was this 2-0 sinker from Blue Jays lefty Brendon Little. According to TruMedia's calculations, that pitch had a 58.9% called strike probability -- that's based on empirical data, and not whether or not it should be called a strike based on the rulebook or any given umpire's judgment. 

In other words, Pham and Heineman both had a point. Just don't expect them to agree on it.