Pirates legend Andrew McCutchen delivers honest take on what led to Jorge Lopez’s punishment

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen opened up on his exchange with Jorge Lopez during the incident which resulted in a suspension for the Washington Nationals pitcher. In the four-game series between the Pirates and the Nationals in April, Lopez was ejected for throwing a pitch at McCutchen's head and later suspended for three games.

The incident occurred in the third game of the series, with both teams having won a game each. The Pirates had taken a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning before Jorge Lopez was brought on in the seventh inning.

The reliever gave up an RBI hit before throwing a wild pitch at Andrew McCutchen, which narrowly missed the Pirates star's head. The two players then got into a heated exchange, clearing both benches. Lopez was ejected from the game.

Looking back at the incident on Sunday's episode of "Dugout Discussions," McCutchen reflected on Lopez's suspension:

(From 19:10)

"Initially when it happened, I told him, 'Dude, keep it down, not at my head.' I take a break, I come back, I'm sitting there. Now, the umpires are doing their little thing. I am not directly in front of Jorge Lopez, he's little off to my left. He looks in the dugout and he says, 'Come on, man.'"

"That's when I jump in front and I told him, 'Dude, you can't talk right now. You threw it at my head, there's no point in having this conversation.' And then that's when it kind of escalated."

"There wasn't anything that was going to happen... I knew initially in mind, I didn't feel like it was on purpose. I think it got away from him it just happened to sail over my head. Past that, I think honestly this is what led to the suspension... If he would have just been quiet and the benches didn't clear, they would have warned both sides, and the at-bat would have continued."

The Pirates won the game 6-1 and took the fourth game as well, completing a 3-1 series win over the Nationals. While Andrew McCutchen may not have taken it personally, Jorge Lopez went on to apologize for his actions after the game.

Andrew McCutchen opens up on how Barry Bonds' mindset set him apart from others

Pittsburgh Pirates veteran Andrew McCutchen hailed Barry Bonds' mindset and thought process as the reason behind his great MLB career. Speaking on the "Trials to Triumph podcast," McCutchen said:

"As good as Barry Bonds was, his mindset was even better... He broke down things to a science almost. Obviously, he had the ability to do it, but he also had a preparation and thought process behind what he was doing."

Bonds is considered by many as the greatest hitter in MLB history, though his legacy was tarnished over alleged PED use. Nonetheless, what he achieved in the sport during his career has been impressive and McCutchen hails Bonds' mentality as the reason behind his success.