Overview

• In the seventh at PNC Park, Tommy Pham flipped his bat after a four-pitch walk and confronted catcher Tyler Heineman, briefly emptying both benches as Pittsburgh beat Toronto 5-2.
• Heineman said he never spoke to Pham and called the encounter unprovoked, while Pham posted that Heineman was complaining about calls and punctuated his defense with an expletive.
• Pham’s since-deleted posts included an insinuation that Addison Barger used steroids; Barger, via a reporter, said his 2019 suspension was for a stimulant and noted no further discipline since.
• Manager John Schneider dismissed Pham’s opinions and emphasized Toronto’s play after a three-error loss, with the Blue Jays still leading the AL East.
• As of the latest coverage, no MLB discipline has been announced tied to the Aug. 18 confrontation, and the dispute continued online with Pham replying to fans and public figures.