Viral video showing alleged insult to Miguel Amaya leaves odd taste; Cubs drop opener to Padres

SAN DIEGO — The short video clip posted on X appeared to show Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing referring to Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya as a “fat [expletive]” after Amaya stole second base in the third inning of the Cubs’ 12-4 loss Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

The batter, Nico Hoerner, was frozen in the moment, but it was clear he heard exactly what Rushing said.

Rushing was asked about the exchange Sunday after the Cubs lost again, 6-0 at Dodger Stadium.

“Some people have already asked me about it,” he said. “It was nothing.’’

He didn’t acknowledge saying anything about Amaya, although he did note that he didn’t think Cubs reliever Yacksel Rios was throwing at him when he came way inside during his last at-bat.

“I just think his command was a little sporadic,’’ Rushing said.

The comment after the stolen base certainly registered with Hoerner, who confirmed Rushing said what the video showed.

“I wish I had Miguel’s back a little more, but I was in the middle of an at-bat and kind of taken aback,” Hoerner said.

Was this the kind of moment that could linger?

“You know, the baseball community is really small, right?” Hoerner said. “So you always find the line of competition, but then there’s also respect because we are all part of, like, a pretty small, special community. So, yeah, [it could linger].”

Amaya didn’t sound particularly perturbed when asked about the insult Saturday, but he wasn’t dismissing it, either.

“Not a big deal at all,” he said. “The only thing is, why do they [disrespect] somebody that way? I don’t mind he said it. Sometimes that’s part of the game, I know. But don’t let the excitement or something bring it out. You’ve got to [do] a better job trying to throw me out than to just insult somebody.”

Amaya said Hoerner expressed regret to him that he hadn’t done more in the moment.

“I know that he’s a guy who when he is in the [batter’s] box, he’s locked in,” Amaya said. “He should have my back in there and say something, you know, to be on the same page. But, yeah, it’s something we just wipe off and keep moving forward.”

Cubs fall in San Diego

Despite a grand slam by Moises Ballesteros, the first of his career and first by a Cub this season, the Cubs dropped their third straight game since the end of their 10-game winning streak by losing 9-7 to the host Padres.

Cubs starter Matthew Boyd was tagged for eight hits and five runs in four inning and Phil Maton, pitching for the Cubs for the first time in nearly three weeks, was touched for three straight hits, including Ty France’s two-run triple, in the seventh.

Seiya Suzuki hit his fifth home run in the last seven games, for the Cubs’ first run.

With the crowd of 41,478 at Petco Park chanting “Holy Sheets,” former White Sox strongman Gavin Sheets hit a 422-foot home run off Jacob Webb in the eighth. The Cubs scored two runs in the ninth off Padres closer Mason Miller, ending his scoreless streak at 34 2/3 innings. Before Monday night, Miller had held opposing batters to three hits in 42 at-bats; the first three Cubs he faced, Matt Shaw (a swinging bunt that appeared to go foul), Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong all singled.

Ballesteros behind the dish

Ballesteros, who was batting a sizzling .526 with four home runs since April 7 when he entered play Monday, caught for the first time this season and batted sixth. Ian Happ served as designed hitter, and Michael Conforto played left field.

Manager Craig Counsell said Ballesteros was asked to catch so he could get Conforto, another left-handed hitter, in the lineup.

• The Cubs activated high-leverage reliever Maton for the game and sent reliever Charlie Barnes back to Iowa.