The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox cleared the benches after right-hander Davis Martin hit infielder Sal Stewart in the head with an inside fastball.
Stewart launched a solo home run off Martin in his first at-bat. In his second trip to the plate, Martin fired a fastball over the catcher and to the backstop. His second pitch was high and tight, striking Stewart in the ear flap. He immediately walked toward the mound, pointing at Martin with his bat.
The Reds players streamed onto the field from the dugout and the bullpen. The White Sox then followed suit. Martin was ejected from the game.
Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox Clear Benches, Davis Martin Ejected After Hitting Sal Stewart
Stewart opened the scoring against the White Sox with a long home run to left field off Martin. Eugenio Suarez soon added to the lead with a two-run blast. Martin hit catcher Tyler Stephenson later in the inning, though it came on a curveball that appeared to slip out of his hand. The weather has been an issue in Chicago. The game was moved up an hour to duck the rain.
After the first pitch in Stewart’s second at-bat missed high, he glared out to the mound at Martin. The right-hander seemed to motion that it wasn’t intentional, and Stewart nodded, accepting the defense. The response wasn’t as jovial after the second pitch. The 92 mph heater nearly struck Stewart in the face, but he turned away in time for it to glance off his helmet. He was seen rubbing his jaw at first base after the incident.
Suarez was among the first out of the dugout to confront Martin. He was cut off by White Sox first baseman Miguel Vargas. No punches were thrown in the fracas. After a brief meeting by the umpires, the decision was made to remove Martin from the game. He was tagged for three earned runs on two hits, a walk, and two hit-by-pitches over two innings. Martin was relieved by veteran right-hander Erick Fedde.
White Sox Have Frequently Hit Opponents This Season
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 04: Davis Martin #65 of the Chicago White Sox talks with Joey Bart #25 during the sixth inning of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 04, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
Chicago entered the game leading the league with 74 hit-by-pitches this season. The pitching staff quickly added to the total through a few innings against the Reds. Martin entered the start with nine hit batters on the season, which ranked tied for 13th among all pitchers. His two hit batters in this matchup vault him inside the top 10 in the league.
White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay leads all pitchers by a significant margin with 21 hit batters this year. He’s seven HBPs clear of the next-closest pitcher. Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Spencer Arrighetti is next on the list at 14 hit batters.
The Reds have hit their fair share of batters as well. Cincinnati ranks 10th in hit-by-pitches this season.
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