In the world of baseball, the unwritten rule of retaliatory pitches has been a point of contention for decades. But when a pitcher deliberately throws at a batter, the consequences are clear—and the Pittsburgh Pirates just learned that lesson the hard way.

Reliever Chris Devenski has been suspended for two games, while manager Don Kelly will serve a one-game ban after an incident involving Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart. The suspensions stem from a heated moment during a recent game that left Stewart nursing a sore rib and the Pirates facing disciplinary action.

Here's how it all went down: During the at-bat, Stewart called for time from the umpire, stepping out of the box. Devenski, seemingly frustrated by the interruption, stepped off the rubber. But when play resumed, the right-hander fired a pitch that struck Stewart squarely in the ribs. The umpiring crew wasted no time in making a call.

"We had the situation lead up to it with Devenski stepping off the rubber and Stewart stepping out of the box," crew chief Alan Porter explained. "Still had time and stepped out. After that, Devenski stepped up and he fired the pitch and, we believe, threw it at him intentionally. That's why we ejected him."

Devenski, however, insists there was no malicious intent. "The pitch wasn't meant to intentionally hit him," he told reporters after the game. "The gameplan was to pitch tight to him."

Reds manager Terry Francona, who admitted he missed most of the incident while discussing pitching strategy with his coach, had little to add. "I thought the umpires did fine," Francona said.

Originally facing a three-game suspension, Devenski's ban was reduced to two games, while Kelly will serve a single-game suspension. For a Pirates team fighting to stay competitive, losing a reliever—even for a short stretch—is a tough pill to swallow.

In a sport where emotions run high and the line between competitive fire and reckless behavior can blur, this incident serves as a reminder that even the oldest traditions come with a price tag. And for the Pirates, that price just got a little steeper.