A baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs took a tragic turn Wednesday night when a man fell from the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park, landing on the warning track during the seventh inning.
The incident occurred moments after Pirates veteran Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double to give his team a 4-3 lead. Players on both teams quickly noticed the man’s fall and began waving urgently for medical personnel. Training staff from both teams, along with PNC Park officials, rushed to assist.
The man, who remained motionless on the field, was treated for approximately five minutes before being transported from the field on a medical cart. He was taken to Allegheny General Hospital. According to a statement from Pittsburgh Public Safety, the man is in critical condition and the police have launched an investigation.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton and Cubs manager Craig Counsell were among the first to alert the umpire crew to the incident.
“Even though it’s 350 feet away or whatever it is, I mean the fact of how it went down and then laying motionless while the play is going on… it’s extremely unfortunate. That’s an understatement,” Shelton said.
The emotional scene left players visibly shaken. Several were seen praying on the field, and McCutchen clutched a cross from his necklace as the man was carried off.
“Truly hate what happened tonight,” McCutchen later wrote on X. “I pray tonight for him. Let us think about his loved ones and hug our families a little tighter tonight. I hope he pulls thru. May God bless you all.”
Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson described it as “a very scary moment,” adding, “I have never been part of something like that before and I hope I am never part of something like that again.”
Although the game was paused briefly, there was no official stoppage in play.
This isn’t the first time stadium safety has come under scrutiny. In 2015, Braves fan Gregory K. Murrey died after falling from the upper deck at Turner Field. Four years earlier, Texas firefighter Shannon Stone fell while reaching for a foul ball at a Rangers game, also resulting in a fatality. Those events sparked debate about the adequacy of stadium guard rails.
In 2022, a fan died after falling on an escalator at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium.
As of Thursday morning, there have been no updates on the injured fan’s condition.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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