A pair of NL Central rivals seemed to engage in a little gamesmanship in Cincinnati on Wednesday night.
The Cardinals apparently requested a bat check on Reds slugger Nick Castellanos after his second-inning grand slam, which came shortly after he launched a two-run shot in the opening frame.
The bat in question had a sizable, conspicuous chip around the edge of the cup, which is probably what prompted the request for inspection from the Cardinals' bench. Cincinnati manager David Bell could be seen speaking with the umpires when they signaled for Castellanos to bring his lumber in for inspection.
After the umpires conferred with officials in New York, the grand slam was allowed to stand, but the bat was removed from play for safety reasons, according to Bobby Nightengale of Cincinnati.com.
Castellanos then gifted the disputed bat to a young Reds fan in the stands, who was later seen posing with his historic souvenir. Castellanos became the first hitters in Reds history with two homers and six RBIs in the first two innings of a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
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