No one has ever accused John Lackey of being a level-headed pitcher, or human for that matter. But even for him, this was a meltdown for the ages.
On Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field, Lackey got the start in the first game of an important series with the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals, who they hold a three-game lead over in the NL Central. Lackey is no stranger to playoff-like atmospheres, so chances are he was even more fired up than his normal, already insane self when he took the mound in Chicago.
In the top of the fifth inning, Lackey took exception with a called ball by the home plate umpire on a close pitch. Even after the ump kept his cool by not tossing him, the veteran pitcher wasn't done. On the next pitch, Cardinals' pitcher Carlos Martinez ripped an RBI single to right center field to give St. Louis a 2-1 lead, and that's when Lackey lost it. Check out the whole, wild sequence from a few different angles:
Just chill out man.
Understandably, Lackey was immediately ejected, along with catcher Wilson Contreras. Despite the chaos, and 2-1 deficit, the Cubbies fed off the energy, now currently leading 8-2 late in the game with a chance to notch their fourth straight victory. Here's hoping they earn a playoff spot again this year so we get more Lackey theatrics on the big stage in October.