The Los Angeles Dodgers scratched Shohei Ohtani from starting and rolled with Emmet Sheehan. The right-hander took the mound first as Ohtani dealt with an illness. Sheehan and the Dodgers took a 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates — but featured some controversy.
Baseball insider Ben Verlander captured this moment involving the emergency starter.
“It appears Emmet Sheehan just intentionally kept the first MLB hit ball for Cam Devanney. The team asked for the ball. The umpire threw Sheehan a new ball and he clearly switched it in his glove,” Verlander posted on X.
Reactions sprouted online after the moment. With some fans calling out Sheehan for having no class. One called it “scumbag behaivor” from the pitcher. Others called for the MLB office to go after his wallet and pay a fine.
Sheehan addressed the controversial moment afterward.
What did Emmet Sheehan say about controversy in Dodgers-Pirates game?
Dodgers reporter Kristen Watson spoke with Sheehan after the three-run loss. The pitcher denied he was trying to ruffle any feathers.
“Emmet Sheehan said it was not intentional, he didn’t realize that the ball was being called for and shared he would personally apologize to Cam Devanney for the misunderstanding,” Watson shared online.
Manager Dave Roberts made the last minute decision to throw Sheehan on the mound. The veteran threw in 4.2 innings total. Sheehan struck out six batters — turning to sliders, changeups and a four-seam fast ball to start.
But he surrendered one of two home runs early. Andrew McCutchen ripped a 408-foot homer over left field — making it 2-0. Ben Casparius relieved him in the sixth inning. Sheehan allowed five hits with two runs.
Offensively, the Dodgers pounded out five hits. Ohtani smacked a team-high two as he returned to designated hitter duties. Freddie Freeman managed to get one hit in, but became vocal about the Dodgers' offensive struggles after the loss.
