Pirates' Dennis Santana, Tommy Pham involved in fan altercations in Detroit

Separate altercations with fans broke out between Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana and outfielder Tommy Pham during Game 2 of a doubleheader against the host Tigers on Thursday night at Comerica Park in Detroit.

Santana, who recorded one out in the bottom of the ninth before a rain delay paused play for 1 hour, 15 minutes, was filmed attempting to leap up and swipe at a fan from in the bullpen.

Dennis Santana is swinging at fans from the bullpen pic.twitter.com/cah20Ohtis

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According to the Associated Press, Santana said the fan crossed the line.

“You guys know me — I’m a calm demeanor type of person,” Santana said after the game through an interpreter. “I’ve never had any issues for any of the teams I’ve played for. This guy crossed the line a few times.”

Santana declined to disclose what the fan said.

“He crossed the line, and I’d like to leave it at that. I’ve never had anything like this happen in my eight years in baseball,” he said.

Pirates manager Don Kelly said on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show he didn’t yet know the details of the situation.

“I’m still gathering facts,” Kelly said. “I don’t have enough information to really comment on that at all.”

Santana, claimed on waivers from the New York Yankees last summer, is in his second season with the Pirates.

According to the AP, Santana later said he discussed the incident with Kelly.

“He knows I regret what I did,” said Santana, who was escorted away by Pirates bullpen personnel and held back by a teammate. “You know I’m a professional.”

So far into 2025, he’s been one of the club’s most dependable bullpen options, going 2-1 with a 1.72 ERA in 32 games.

As for Pham, he scored the winning run Thursday night on an RBI single from Ke’Bryan Hayes.

Beginning the top of the 10th as the automatic runner on second base, he beat a throw from right fielder Kerry Carpenter to put the Pirates up 5-4.

Detroit challenged the play, unsuccessfully, and Tigers manager AJ Hinch was ejected by second base umpire/crew chief Chris Guccione shortly after.

The Pirates took an 8-4 lead in the 10th when Pham, preparing to pinch-hit for Andrew McCutchen, was in the on-deck circle behind Oneil Cruz.

At that point, he appeared to exchange words with a group of fans behind home plate, before pointing them out to umpire Dexter Kelley.

The incident paused play as Pham, Kelly, Guccione and Kelley conferred.

Tommy Pham getting into it with fans in Detroit@TalkinBaseball_ | @TheWardyNYM pic.twitter.com/kHKw8uLGgI

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Per the Detroit Free Press, three fans were ejected as a result.

“I didn’t see it,” Kelly said. “I guess fans were saying something to (Pham), and he didn’t take kindly to it. Security did a great job of de-escalating that situation pretty quick.”

Pham, in his first season with the Pirates, is batting .194 through 51 games.

In mid-May, he was suspended a game following another altercation April 25 in which he made “inappropriate actions” toward fans during a road game against the Los Angeles Angels.

Pham was fined an undisclosed amount and appealed the suspension without success.

The Pirates won Friday’s game 8-4 in 10 innings.