Marcus Stroman didn't hold back when he was asked about his exchanges with Pirates newcomer John Nogowski, which led to both benches clearing during the Mets' 4-1 loss on Friday night.
"He's just a clown, man," Stroman said. "[Mets pitcher] Drew Smith told me he was a clown, he's a clown. He knows I wasn't talking any s--t to him."
Grinding through five innings while trailing 2-1, Stroman got Nogowski, playing in his eighth game with the Pirates, to line out to first base to end the inning, leading to a celebration from Stroman, which Nogowski apparently did not appreciate.
"I have no idea, man," Stroman said. "Inning ended, patting my glove in emotion, just battling all night. I had no feel, rain delay, just happy to go five and keep it in arms reach for my team. I put my head down, literally looking at my dugout, you can look at the video, and he starts running his mouth saying I'm talking s--t. I'm not one to let any man talk down on me, especially when it's not warranted at all."
The two were separated by catcher James McCann as the benches emptied, and order was restored in less than two minutes, but the two continued to go at it in the top of the sixth, with Stroman jawing from the dugout and Nogowski firing back from his position at first base, all while the Mets had the go-ahead run on base.
"I was just asking him why he was running away after talking all that s--t," Stroman said. "I was right there. He started to kind of backpedal, his face got all red, and he started to get off the field. I was just wondering why he was running away."
Nogowski downplayed the incident after the game, saying he had no problem with how Stroman reacted to the lineout to end the fifth, though the ensuing exchange suggested otherwise.
"He's a grown man, he can act the way he wants to," Nogowski said. "That was a big spot in the game. If guys want to get you out that means you're doing well, and I want guys to want to get me out. That was a big spot in the game and I have no problem with how he was celebrating or anything like that. That was a huge out for his team to try and keep them in the game.
"It was just two competitive guys going at it. That's a big spot in that game. I had a real good at-bat going up to that point, hit the ball well and they had me played perfect, and he was fired up for his team to get that out. You got two competitive guys out there, stands full, it gets a little heated sometimes."
Stroman was clearly still aggravated with Nogowski when talking to reporters after the game, though McCann said he considered the situation diffused before the game ended.
"When I got on base there at the end, I said something to him and he said 'I don't have anything against anybody, I wasn't intending for something to happen,'" McCann said. "I said 'I just wanted to make sure you knew Stroman wasn't saying anything to you.'"
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