The Cubs completed a three-game sweep of the White Sox at Wrigley Field this past Sunday, but before the final out was recorded there was some drama between Miguel Vargas and Brad Keller. White Sox fans are all too familiar with Keller after he threw at Tim Anderson back in 2019, and there was another plunking incident that at first didn’t seem intentional, but new insight might actually confirm that the Cubs pitcher intentionally hit Vargas.
Vargas was 6-for-10, with 3 home runs and a double against the Cubs when he stepped up to the plate to face Keller in the eighth inning. The Cubs had just extended their lead in the series finale and with two outs and 1-0 count, Keller hit Vargas with a 96mph fastball. Understandably, Vargas was not thrilled.
Keller retired the next batter to end the inning and as he walked back to the Cubs dugout Vargas started to chirp at the pitcher.
Well, Vargas might be vindicated for being angry at Keller and the Cubs for the beaning.
On Monday, 670 The Score’s Matt Spiegel shared some info that could provide the answer to what led to Vargas getting hit. Spiegel said he was texting with White Sox radio play-by-play man Len Kasper, who noticed, alongside his broadcast partner Darrin Jackson, that Cubs third base coach Quintin Berry may have actually been the initial instigator.
Earlier in Sunday’s game Seiya Suzuki hit his second sac-fly that drove in Pete Crow-Armstrong from third base. Apparently Vargas made a savvy move and was shielding Crow-Armstrong at third base in an attempt to block his view from seeing when the outfielder made the catch.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but the White Sox radio team noticed that Berry started talking to Vargas following the play and Vargas didn’t back down either, chirping back.
A couple innings later Vargas gets drilled with a fastball as the Cubs were leading 5-1 in the eighth inning. So, it kinda seems like Keller either did the beaning on his own accord or maybe he was just following orders from the coaching staff?
That’s how the incident is now being framed. Here’s the breakdown from 670 The Score.
Vargas wasn’t too upset after the game, making light of his exchange with Keller.
So, what do you think? Was Keller wrong? Was Vargas justified for being mad or did he overreact? Funny enough, the man who may have started the beef, Berry, never got any attention until the next day when Spiegel spilled the beans on the radio.
