MLB

Men, you might wanna close your eyes.

Pirates pitcher J.T. Brubaker drilled Nationals shortstop Alcides Escobar in the balls ... in what will go down as one of the most painful pickoff attempts in MLB history.

The wild play went down in the fourth inning of Thursday's game between the Nationals and the Pirates ... Brubaker's throw over to first base hit Escobar square in the groin area.

In the video, you can see Escobar taking a lead off first base when Brubaker turns and fires a throw towards the bag (foreshadowing) that misses everything ... except, well, you know the rest.

Escobar immediately grabbed his marbles as he was falling backward to the ground ... and signaled with his right hand to the first base ump that he needed a few to gather himself.

Play was temporarily stopped (understandably so, if you've ever experienced that pain before) as Escobar rolled around on the ground in clear discomfort.

Fortunately, though, the veteran shortstop was able to laugh about it all as one of his coaches and the team's trainer helped him back to his feet.

Escobar would stay in to finish the game, going 1-for-4 at the plate with two strikeouts ... but the biggest hit of the day came unexpectedly, if you catch our drift.

A Phillies fan had so much beef with a Mets heckler during a game in Philadelphia earlier this week ... he straight-up tossed the dude's phone onto the field in a fit of rage.

The crazy moment was captured on video during the Mets vs. Phillies game on Tuesday night ... after a man in a Pete Alonso jersey started gloating about a play on the field.

In the footage, you can see the guy whipped out his phone and taunted a bunch of Phillies fans in his section.

But, suddenly, a fan in a Bryce Harper jersey had enough of the celebration ... and grabbed the guy's phone and hurled it into the middle of the outfield.

Much of the crowd in the section ate up the entire exchange ... with many cheering on the guy.

In the clip, you can see people rushed in to break up the skirmish, trying to escort the Phillies fan out of the area before things escalated further.

The Mets fan, meanwhile, ended up getting into a shoving match with another fan wearing a Phillies jersey, and got pushed so hard, he almost fell over several seats.

A stadium staffer finally came into the section to restore the peace ... and the tussle ended without any further significant fireworks.

The Dodgers are about to win a game over the Minnesota Twins ... but their fans are FURIOUS -- 'cause Clayton Kershaw was yanked from the contest despite being perfect through 7 innings.

The L.A. ace and future Hall of Famer was just pulled by manager Dave Roberts ... even though he was absolutely dealing.

Through the game's first 21 outs, Kershaw had 13 strikeouts ... and allowed no Twin to reach base. He seemed poised to record just the 24th perfect game in MLB history.

But, despite only throwing 80 pitches, Roberts pulled the starter before he could finish off the 8th and the 9th innings.

And, to make matters worse, Kershaw's replacement -- reliever Alex Vesia -- gave up a knock in the 8th to ruin any shot at a combined perfect game.

Roberts, though, was just trying to protect his stud pitcher by removing him -- because, after all, Kershaw had a shortened spring training and he's had a history of injuries.

Still, fans are livid that the 34-year-old didn't at least get the chance to make history -- with many taking to social media to blast Roberts for the call.

Kershaw, meanwhile, didn't seem too pissed ... he was smiling in the dugout after being pulled.

San Francisco Giants first base coach Antoan Richardson claims he was ejected on Tuesday night for confronting a Padres coach over what he says was a comment that "reeked" of racism.

Richardson, who's Black, made the allegations following SF's win over San Diego ... saying it all started in the third inning, when Padres coach Mike Shildt, who's white, picked a fight with him while he was in the Giants' dugout.

Richardson told media members that Shildt was looking for someone in the Giants' dugout ... and when he asked who he wanted, Shildt got snippy.

"At this time, he's walking toward our dugout," Richardson said of Shildt. "And then he says, 'Hey. I was looking for Alex Wood.'"

Richardson says the exchange of words got so heated, SF manager Gabe Kapler came over to defuse the situation. Then, that's when he claims Shildt unleashed a comment that he believed dripped with "undertones of racism."

"He yelled, 'You need to control that motherf***er,'" Richardson said.

Richardson said he was so taken aback by the comment, he stepped toward the top of the dugout to confront Shildt -- and was ultimately ejected for the action.

"His words were disproportionality unwarranted," Richardson said of Shildt. "And reeked of undertones of racism. When he referred to me as 'that motherf***er,' as if I am to be controlled or I'm a piece of property or enslaved."

Richardson then ripped MLB umpire Greg Gibson for ejecting him ... saying, "Me being tossed by that umpire empowered this coach to continue to have conversations like that with people like me. And that's really unfortunate that that's what happened tonight."

Shildt -- who managed the St. Louis Cardinals last year -- and Padres manager Bob Melvin did not comment on the incident following the game.

While it was all a disturbing situation for Richardson, his ejection did lead to some MLB history -- Alyssa Nakken took over his coaching duties on the field ... and became the first woman in MLB history to ever do so.

"I'm really excited that Alyssa (Nakken) got her opportunity to make her Major League debut and I'm very proud of her," Richardson said. "I think she did a really wonderful job and we got a win, so that's the most important thing."

Kapler, meanwhile, addressed the incident following the game and said he believes Richardson's side of the story to be true.

"I trust Antoan's judgment 100 percent. I trust Antoan's judgment on the matter and I know that Antoan was not out of control at all and that anything that was said to insinuate that he was is totally inappropriate."

"He didn't instigate any part of this."

Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm said out loud during his game in Philadelphia on Monday that he "f***ing hates" playing in the city ... but afterward, he quickly apologized and swore he didn't mean it.

Bohm unleashed the quick tirade amid a brutal night on the field against the New York Mets ... with cameras capturing the 25-year-old saying to a teammate, "I f***ing hate this place."

Bohm had just committed three errors in the game -- and after he finally made a good play at the hot corner, fans sarcastically cheered ... which clearly pissed him off.

He unleashed the quick barb while looking at Didi Gregorius -- but following the game, he said he was deeply sorry for the comments.

"Emotions got the best of me," said Bohm, who was a former top prospect who's struggled since becoming an everyday player for the Phillies. "I said it. Do I mean it? No."

"It's [a] frustrating night for me. Obviously, I made a few mistakes in the field. Look, these people, these fans, they just want to win. And, you heard it. We come back. They're great. I'm sorry for them. I don't mean that. Emotions just got the best of me."

Bohm then said he actually loves playing in Philly.

A man in a Colorado Rockies hat punched several women in the face in a crazy altercation outside of Coors Field over the weekend ... and TMZ Sports has obtained video of the brutality.

The incident went down shortly after the Rockies vs. Dodgers game in Denver on Friday -- just a few blocks away from the stadium -- when a man jumped into an altercation between women who appeared to be feuding with each other.

You can see in the footage, as several of the women were fighting -- the man stepped in and began unloading haymakers.

The guy punched several of the women in the face -- with one blow landing so flush, it appeared to knock one of the females out.

Later in the fight, the man punched another woman in the face while she was on the ground.

A police officer showed up and appeared to break up the scuffle, though it's unclear if any arrests were made. We've reached out to cops for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

A fan attending the Toronto Blue Jays game on Friday was arrested ... after cops say she socked an officer in the face during an altercation in the crowd.

The incident happened during the Jays' contest against the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre ... when cops say a female fan became enraged with law enforcement after they tried to boot her from her seat.

The Toronto Police Service says the woman and another man were involved in a fight with others in the area -- and officers were attempting to deescalate the situation by removing the two from the section.

But, in footage of the incident, you can see as the two were being escorted out ... the woman quickly turned and launched a right hand into the cheek of a female officer.

Video shows the woman was then taken to the ground immediately after the punch ... and was ultimately put in handcuffs.

Cops say the woman, ID'ed as 27 years old, was eventually arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer and being intoxicated in a public place.

Scary moment during the Mets' season opener on Thursday ... star slugger Pete Alonso was drilled in the face by a 95 MPH fastball, but somehow, he's expected to be OK.

The horrifying scene went down in the ninth inning of New York's win over the Nationals ... when a heater got away from Washington reliever Mason Thompson and made a beeline for Alonso's mouth.

The 27-year-old tried to move out of the way of the pitch -- but it still caught him in the jaw ... sending him crashing to the dirt.

Fortunately, the pitch caught most of Alonso's ear flap before it hit him in the mouth -- but, still, the guy had to leave the game as blood poured from his face.

Pete, though, said afterward he's expecting to be just fine ... explaining to reporters he's still got all of his teeth and suffered no concussion.

In fact, the home run hitter joked about it all on IG following the game, writing on a selfie, "Why spend thousands on lip injections when you can get this look for FREE by getting hit in the mouth by a 97 mph fastball?"

Opening Day is upon us ... and what better way to start the 2022 MLB season than to go through all the new grub fans will be able to devour as they watch their favorite teams at the stadium!!

Off the bat, the Chopped Cheese is hitting Yankee Stadium ... as a homage to the local bodegas in NYC.

The Rangers have a WILD new entry for 2022 -- an Alligator Corn Dog ... which sounds worse than it probably actually is.

The reigning champs -- the Atlanta Braves -- have a $151 wagyu beef burger available for purchase ... but there's also a $25,000 option that comes with a World Series ring!!

The Orioles have a ton of delicious options this season ... but the Crab Cake Egg Rolls made our stomachs growl the most.

The Royals have one of the most unique items -- the BBQ Reese's Sandwich ... which is part of Aramark's Dare To Pair series, a promo that makes unique combinations turn into delicious creations.

There's a ton more new additions ... but it's better if you just check out the pics for yourself.

The Chicago Cubs used Opening Day on Thursday to raise awareness for the war in Ukraine -- flying Ukrainian flags at Wrigley Field and donating raffle proceeds to victims.

Cubbies officials hung the Ukrainian flags all outside of the stadium ... with roughly a dozen of the flags being placed around the famous venue's facade.

Inside the stadium, Chicago donated proceeds from the 50/50 raffle to Ukrainian relief efforts.

The team also had Ukrainian American Youth Association Choir hit the field before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers to sing the Ukrainian national anthem.

As we reported, Ukraine has been in need of support since late February ... after Russian troops invaded the country.

Albert Pujols is going into his farewell season as a single man -- the MLB legend just announced his divorce from his wife of more than 2 decades.

"I've been asked a lot of questions over the past few days regarding what's been going on at home and sadly, after 22 years of marriage, I have made the decision to file for divorce from my wife, Deidre," Pujols said in a statement.

Pujols acknowledges the timing of the news -- considering his wife had brain surgery to have a tumor removed last week -- is not ideal ... but the split wasn't "something that just happened overnight."

"As a devout Christian, this is an outcome that I never wanted to see happen. For many long days and nights, I prayed, asking the Lord for His guidance."

Pujols -- who married Deidre in 2000 -- did not go into detail about the breakup.

"I am thankful for the five beautiful children that we brought into this world and remain committed to raising them in a loving and safe environment."

Pujols -- who spent the majority of his career with the Cardinals and Angels -- is a 2-time World Series champ, 3-time National League MVP and 10-time All-Star. He's hit 679 home runs in his career ... which is fifth all-time.

Scary scene on the baseball diamond on Monday ... Twins left fielder Nick Gordon appeared to be knocked unconscious after he collided with his teammate in the outfield.

The terrifying moment happened during Minnesota's spring training game against the Boston Red Sox ... when Gordon and center fielder Max Kepler went after a fly ball at the same time.

The two Twins ended up crashing into each other before the ball dropped out of the sky -- and you can see in a clip of the play, Gordon got the worst of the collision.

The 26-year-old's body seemed to go stiff -- and he looked to be knocked out for several seconds.

Somehow, though, the Twins say Gordon avoided serious injury -- but he did have to leave the game and he is reportedly suffering from a minor headache.

Well, this is awkward ...

A Dodger fan now has a tattoo of a player on his favorite team's rival ... and it's all 'cause the outfielder got surprisingly traded from L.A. just days after the ink went on the skin.

Here's the deal -- a fan was at the Dodgers' spring training workouts in Arizona earlier this month, when he asked both Cody Bellinger and Matt Beaty to sign their names on his arm.

In exchange for the autographs, the fan promised to get the sigs tattooed permanently -- so the players obliged.

A short time later, the fan went under the needle -- and the tattoos came out clean!!!

The problem? Just days later, Beaty got sent packing to the Padres, one of L.A.'s most-hated rivals.

No word on how the fan is planning to move forward with the fresh tattoo now -- particularly because Beaty also changed his jersey number following the trade. But, Matt at least offered to somewhat help the guy out.

"Well, if he wants to scratch out the No. 45 and put in No. 27," Beaty said, "I'm happy to do that for him."

As for the whole ordeal, Beaty had a feeling the dude might come to regret it eventually.

"This guy sticks his arm with Cody’s [autograph], and he's like, 'Hey, sign my arm, too.' And I'm like, 'Sure,'" Beaty said.

"Then later that night, of course, I get notifications [of the tattoo] and I'm like, 'Geez, what is this guy thinking?' It's going to be with that guy for a long time."

New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge gifted a cancer survivor with a set of his own custom baseball cards this week ... and the sweet moment will hit ya right in the feels.

Judge facetimed with Mason Ferrulli -- a young fan who he's formed a good relationship with over the last year -- to present him the gift ... and check out the footage, it's pretty amazing.

Judge told Mason to open a box he had sent ... and in it were a bunch of cards that featured an image of Mason and Judge from when they had met last year.

Judge explained to Mason his connections at Topps hooked it all up for him -- and Mason was thrilled!

"Awww, man," Mason said in disbelief. "That's awesome!"

Judge and Mason have developed quite the bond over the past few months after Mason -- a three-time Ependymoma brain cancer and spine cancer survivor -- famously pulled one of Aaron's rare cards out of a pack last August.

The video of Mason was so heartwarming, Judge arranged a meeting with him when the Yanks played near Mason's hometown in Oakland last year -- and he hooked up the boy with a jersey and some autographs.

The two have clearly stayed in touch ever since -- and Judge told Mason on the phone call Monday he's going to be waiting now for an autograph from Mason!

"I'ma need one," Judge said. "You got my signature now. I'ma need you to sign one and send one to me."

Mason Rudolph out ... Matt Harvey in???

TMZ Sports has learned the MLB pitcher chatted up Genie Bouchard at a music festival in Miami just weeks after the tennis star broke up with her longtime BF -- and it's got us all wondering, are the two now igniting a new romance?

We obtained a picture and video of Bouchard with the baseball player at Ultra on Saturday night ... and while we're told there was no kissing, touching or feeling going on -- it seems apparent Harvey was interested in getting her ear.

You'll recall, Harvey has been linked to Bouchard in the past -- back in 2014 while Harvey was starring for the Mets, he reportedly tried to grab tickets to one of Bouchard's U.S. Open matches and potentially meet her afterward.

No word on if the two were ever able to connect back in the day ... but the duo certainly seems to have met now.

Of course, 28-year-old Bouchard is just recently single -- she and Rudolph's split is very fresh -- so it's unclear if she's looking to jump back in the dating pool again.

As for 33-year-old Harvey, he's single ... and has been known to date some very pretty people in the past.

Ozzie Guillen absolutely loathes the idea of an automated strike zone in the MLB ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks robot umps are "the worst thing I've ever heard in my life."

The former Chicago White Sox manager went in on the idea when we asked him this week about the potential rule change -- saying he has no clue how it'd make the game better.

"I hope [the rule change] happens after I die," Guillen said, "because I'll be very, very vocal about it."

The MLB is considering the move down the road -- after it implemented automated strike zones for the 2022 Triple-A season.

The idea is that if it goes well in the minor leagues, it could eventually end up replacing humans behind the plate one day in The Show -- and make a more uniform ball-and-strike zone there.

Guillen, though, said it's a slap in the face to the current umps ... and he also doesn't understand how a computer could do a better job than a human who's standing just inches away from the pitches.

"Whoever came up with this idea never played the game," Guillen said. "Never played Little League baseball games."

Guillen is in favor of adding one rule back to the game ... telling us he'd like to see more roughness come back. He explained he's hoping the league will allow hard slides into second base and into home plate again eventually.

As for if Guillen will ever manage again -- he said he's hopeful after getting an interview with the San Diego Padres last year that a team will give him another shot.