A fan at PNC Park was seriously injured during the Chicago Cubs-Pittsburgh Pirates game on Wednesday night, May 1, 2025, after falling 21 feet over the Clemente Wall in right field and onto the warning track below. The incident occurred in the seventh inning, just moments after Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen hit a go-ahead two-run double to give Pittsburgh a 4-3 lead, a hit that ultimately secured their victory in the regular-season matchup, per MLB.com. However, the game’s outcome was overshadowed by the accident, which left the fan in critical condition.
Footage of the incident, widely shared on social media and reported by CBS Pittsburgh, shows the adult male either losing his balance in excitement or intentionally jumping up on the railing before tumbling head-first onto the field. The fall happened directly after McCutchen’s double, which deflected off Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson’s leg into right-center, scoring two runs, per The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney. Players on both teams immediately signaled for help, with McCutchen, Swanson, and others taking a knee as medical personnel rushed to the scene, per Fox News. Pittsburgh EMS, alongside the Pirates and Cubs athletic training staffs and PNC Park personnel, quickly responded, providing care to the fan before he was carted off the field approximately four minutes after the fall, per Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Pirates released a statement on X shortly after the game, saying, “Tonight, during the seventh inning of the game at PNC Park, an adult male fell from the right field bleachers onto the field of play. Pittsburgh EMS, as well as the Pirates and Cubs athletic training teams and other PNC Park personnel reacted and responded immediately and administered care. He was transported to Allegheny General Hospital. No further information is available at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.” The fan was taken to Allegheny General Hospital, about a mile north of PNC Park, where he remains in critical condition, per The New York Times. Pittsburgh Public Safety confirmed on May 1 that the incident is being treated as accidental, with no further updates expected, per their X post.
The game was delayed for several minutes as both managers, Craig Counsell of the Cubs and Derek Shelton of the Pirates, came onto the field to assess the situation, per MLB.com. Post-game, Shelton expressed his concern, telling AP News, “I want to offer thoughts and prayers with the incident that happened earlier in the game and thank both our medical staff, the Cubs’ medical staff, EMS, everybody that got to the gentleman, and just ask everybody to keep him in your prayers.” Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson added, “Obviously we are just praying for him, good strong recovery, just to be with him and his family. Never been a part of something like that and obviously hope to never be a part of something like that again,” per The Athletic.
The Clemente Wall, a 21-foot-high barrier in right field named in honor of Pirates legend Roberto Clemente, who wore No. 21, has been a defining feature of PNC Park since its opening in 2001, per MLB.com. While it adds to the park’s charm, the incident highlights the potential dangers for fans in the elevated stands. The Pirates’ 4-3 win snapped a three-game losing streak, with additional scoring from Oneil Cruz and Ke’Bryan Hayes in the first inning, and Joey Bart and Jared Triolo in the fourth, while the Cubs rallied for three runs in the fifth via Ian Happ’s RBI single, Kyle Tucker’s groundout, and a wild pitch by Ryan Borucki, per CBS Pittsburgh. Yet, the focus remains on the injured fan, with the baseball community uniting in support as he fights for recovery.
