Miguel Montero did the exact opposite of supporting his battery mate Tuesday night.
The Chicago Cubs fell 6-1 to the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park while allowing a shocking seven stolen bases. That’s not the best look for Montero, but when asked about Washington’s field day on the basepaths, the Cubs catcher instead pointed the finger at his starter, Jake Arrieta, who was on the mound for all seven of the Nationals’ steals.
“It really sucks because the stolen bases go on me,” Montero said, via CSN Chicago. “When you really look at it, the pitcher doesn’t give me any time. It’s just like: ‘Yeah, OK, Miggy can’t throw nobody out.’ Yeah, but my pitchers don’t hold anybody on. It’s tough, because it doesn’t matter how much work I put in.”
Montero didn’t mention Arrieta by name, but he obviously was throwing his pitcher under the bus.
“That’s the reason why they were running left and right (Tuesday), because they know he was slow to the plate,” Montero said. “Simple as that. It’s a shame that it’s my fault because I didn’t throw anybody out.”
We understand Montero’s frustration — he’s 1-for-31 throwing out runners this season, which looks particularly awful on his résumé. Still, it’s not ideal for a catcher to put his pitcher on blast publicly instead of simply working with him in private to address the issue.
“It always goes to the catcher and I’m the bad guy there,” Montero added. “It really sucks, but it is what it is and I’ve got to take full responsibility. But in the end, I would like a little help.”
The Cubs need a little help as a team, as Tuesday’s loss dropped the defending World Series champs to 39-38 on the season.
UPDATE (1:50 p.m. ET): It appears Montero’s rant has led to his departure.
Thumbnail photo via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images
