What happened between Soto and Wood on Friday night

SAN FRANCISCO – By the end of the night, once the Nationals had put the finishing touches on a 14-4 trouncing of the Giants, the little bit of drama that occurred between Juan Soto and Alex Wood three hours earlier had become a footnote. Which is probably for the best, because the last thing these two teams needed was another argument over things like unwritten rules after a somewhat tense series between them last weekend in Washington.

What did happen during and after Soto’s first two at-bats against Wood? It essentially boiled down to a disagreement over how quickly a pitcher should start his delivery once a batter is in the box.

It began in the top of the first, when with an 0-2 count, Soto asked for time a split-second before Wood began throwing his pitch. Plate umpire Scott Barry granted the request, leaving Wood to cut off his delivery in awkward fashion and elicit some boos from the Oracle Park crowd of 38,256.

“I’m usually fairly courteous about letting guys get in the box,” Wood told reporters after the game. “But my job is not to let them feel comfortable, you know? It’s not like a conscious effort where I’m going to throw this pitch as soon as they’re in the box, waiting for them to get into the box, and as soon as you’re in the box, the ball’s live.”

Wood intended to throw a slider, but once time was called, he switched to a fastball. Soto proceeded to blast it 409 feet to center field for a solo homer and a 1-0 lead.

“I made a mistake throwing that heater, and he put a good swing on it,” Wood said. “But I told Scott I thought it was a little late. No hard feelings for me. I guess they’re a little heated about it, but it’s not intentional. I feel like I’m allowing people to get into the box. And when you get in the box, the ball’s live, to me. But that happens occasionally, because I like to work fast. But it’s not a conscious effort where I’m trying to quick-pitch Soto, or anybody. That’s just the way it worked.”

Two innings later, Soto was back at the plate, and once again he asked for time as Wood began his delivery. This time, Barry didn’t grant it, leaving Soto scrambling to get his feet and hands re-set and attempt to swing. He somehow managed to get the bat on the ball and popped up to third base for the out.

At the end of the sequence, Soto complained to Barry, long enough that manager Davey Martinez had to come out of the Nationals dugout to hold his star slugger back and ensure he didn’t get ejected.

“They want to work quick, but you’ve got to be fair,” Soto said. “Just make your pitches and (get) me out. Don’t try to change the game.”

Barry did seem to hold his hand up toward Wood several times throughout the game, preventing the pitcher from delivering until the batter was ready. Martinez appreciated that effort, and made sure to tell his players to be more obvious about asking for time to get ready before a pitch was thrown.

“He was quick-pitching,” Martinez said. “Look, I think Scott did a good job trying to explain it to Juan. He was just upset because he didn’t give him time out. But he was holding (Wood). Scott was holding him quite a bit. He gets on the mound, and he wants to go. I told Juan: ‘If that ever happens, just put your hand up … and keep it up there until you get both feet (in the box) and then get ready to go. It’s going to happen, but you’ve got to be smart enough. If you need more time, put your hands up there. The umpire will give you time.’ ”

There were no further incidents during the game, and everyone seemed to be fine at night’s end. Wood, in particular, spoke glowingly about Soto as a hitter, calling him one of the toughest to face in the sport.

“Oh man, he’s up there for sure,” the lefty said. “I mean, he’s an otherworldly talent. He’s just a special, special player. I’m a big fan watching him play. He’s just a special player. You don’t like facing him. I like watching him from afar. But a really, really good player.”