Nolan Arenado Drops Instigating Quote After Being Hit by Cole Hamels During Cubs-Rockies Series

The Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies are arguably the two hottest teams in the National League. And when the two teams met for their three-game series this week, it was a testy one.

During Wednesday's series finale, Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado was removed from the game after being hit in the left elbow by a Cole Hamels pitch. While the two teams are not facing off again for the remainder of the season, Arenado hinted the next time they do will be "spicy."

If the Rockies face the Cubs again this season, after today's game filled with plunkings, "it would be a spicy series," Nolan Arenado said.
— Nick Groke (@nickgroke) June 12, 2019

After Arenado left the game with an elbow contusion, it became a domino effect in terms of retaliation.

Hamels was struck in the right foot by Rockies reliever Brian Shaw in the seventh inning. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was plunked in the eighth inning, which resulted in warnings being issued. In the ninth, Chicago's Brad Brach hit Tony Wolters, but was not ejected from the game.

Vintage Joe Maddon on the back-and-forth with the Rockies: “We get hit a lot. Rizzo gets hit a lot. KB gets hit a lot. I’ve always (said): You got two options. Go to the mound or go to first base. But don’t sit there and jabber. Make up your mind. Do one or the other.”
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) June 12, 2019

The inside pitches from Chicago stemmed from star third baseman Kris Bryant being hit three times in the first two games of the series.

Now we can only hope these two squads meet in the postseason again so we can see a tension-filled matchup.