Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly accused the Chicago Cubs of ‘bush league’ antics as tempers flared in the first game of their Major League Baseball series. 

Kelly pitched the first 5.2 innings of Monday’s 7-0 home loss to the Cubs but was furious at Cubs third base coach Quintin Berry for ‘stealing signs’.

Kelly stepped off the mound and glared at Berry during the fifth inning as he pitched to Michael Busch.

He later revealed he believed Berry ‘had something’ on his changeup and was tipping off the Cubs’ left-handed batters. 

While sign stealing is part of baseball and not illegal as long as no technology is involved, it is generally considered an unwritten rule that coaches do not get involved.

After Kelly stepped off the mound to make his point, tempers flared with members of the Arizona coaching staff voicing their displeasure from the dugout. 

Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly stepped off the mound as he pitched to Michael Busch

Cubs third base coach Quintin Berry was accused of ‘stealing signs’ by Kelly

Members of both dugouts ended up shouting at each other as tempers flared over the incident

Pitching coach Brian Kaplan yelled at home plate umpire Lance Barret and motioned toward Berry, the local broadcast shared, while bench coach Brian Banniser wagged his finger and yelled at the Cubs bench. 

Berry smiled as he turned towards the Diamondbacks dugout, while Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty appeared to fire some expletives back in the ill-tempered exchange before Kelly did not hold back reflecting on the incident after the game.  

‘Stealing signs is as old as baseball. I think it’s a little bull**** when it comes from a coach,’ Kelly said.

‘If it’s a guy on second base and they see a grip in your glove or if the hitters can see something you’re doing with your glove, I think that’s fair game. I think guys have been doing that since the beginning of baseball. 

‘I think it’s a little bush league when it comes from outside that. I think inside the lines is one thing, I think the guys that are standing outside the lines I think it’s a little bush league.

‘That was probably the most egregious I’ve seen from coaches. Everyone in this game is trying to get an edge wherever they can. 

‘Definitely not the first time a coach has relayed signs, but I think in that situation I think it should stay between the players.’

Cubs manager Craig Counsell called it ‘gamesmanship that goes on every day in the league’, after an important win for his team, leading the National League Wild Card race.