Fan who fell at PNC Park awake, shows ‘progress’
PITTSBURGH — The man who fell from the top of a 21-foot-high wall onto the warning track at PNC Park during a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night is awake and alert.
Jennifer Phillips, the organizer of a GoFundMe page for Kavan Markwood, the 20-year-old who slipped off a railing and onto the field during the seventh inning of Pittsburgh’s 4-3 win over the Cubs, shared an update Saturday that Markwood is improving.
According to Phillips, Markwood has made significant progress since being admitted to the trauma center at Allegheny General Hospital on Wednesday in critical condition.
“After everything he’s been through since the accident on Wednesday night, this progress feels nothing short of miraculous,” wrote Phillips, who once taught Markwood. “He still has a long road ahead of him, but today brought a moment of hope that we’ve all been holding onto.”
Phillips added that Markwood can speak and encouraged others to support him during his “next phase of recovery.”
As of Saturday evening, the GoFundMe effort had raised more than $27,000.
The Pirates have conducted an internal investigation into the incident, which included interviewing fans and analyzing credit card receipts by others in Markwood’s group.
Brian Warecki, the club’s senior vice president of communications, said the investigation concluded that Markwood did not buy any alcohol but did consume two beers over the course of the game.
Markwood attended the game with three other people, the club said. Credit card receipts indicated that one party in the group legally bought seven alcoholic beverages during the contest.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 1, 2025
The team said it received conflicting accounts from fans who sat near Markwood in the section that sits above the Clemente Wall, which is named for Hall of Famer and franchise icon Roberto Clemente.
One fan told the team that Markwood appeared intoxicated. Others said he did not do anything of note until the moment he stood up to celebrate a hit by Pirates star Andrew McCutchen, at which point Markwood leapt out of his seat toward the 36-inch railing in front of him before flipping over the top.
Pittsburgh Public Safety, which includes Pittsburgh Police and EMS, has labeled the fall an accident.
The San Diego Padres placed right-hander Michael King on the 15-day injured list Thursday because of left knee inflammation.
King (4-2, 2.81 ERA) had just come off the IL on Saturday, allowing two runs in as many innings of a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox.
It was his first start since May 18 as he dealt with shoulder inflammation.
Now, he’s back on the IL with a knee issue in a move retroactive to Monday.
It’s a setback for a red-hot Padres team, who will carry a five-game winning streak into a weekend showdown against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. First-place San Diego is one game ahead of L.A. in the NL West.
King had been scheduled to start the series opener Friday.
In the corresponding roster move, the Padres recalled right-hander Randy Vásquez from Triple-A El Paso.
While the Milwaukee Brewers keep on rolling, another Wisconsin business is stocking up on beef and buns.
For the third time in its history, George Webb Restaurants will make good on its promise of giving away free hamburgers as part of a longstanding promotion to celebrate the Brewers winning 12 consecutive games.
The free burger giveaway will be held Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT at all 23 of the restaurant’s locations throughout Wisconsin. Vouchers for a burger at a later date will be available at all locations starting Friday.
“Hungry fans are welcome to stop by any location for a free, juicy burger and some camaraderie with fellow baseball fans,” the restaurant said on its website.
Starting way back in the 1940s, when Milwaukee was home to the minor league Brewers of the old American Association, George Webb promised free burgers if the local baseball team won 17 consecutive games.
The promotion dropped to 13 games by the time the Braves made Milwaukee a big league city in 1953, but that franchise couldn’t make it happen before departing for Atlanta in 1966.
George Webb changed the promotion to 12 games when the Brewers moved from Seattle in 1970. In 1987, the Brewers opened the season with 13 wins in a row, and more than 170,000 burgers were given away to mark the occasion.
The Brewers accomplished the feat a second time in 2018, closing the regular season with eight victories followed by four playoff wins. That streak led to 90,000 free burgers being given away in addition to 100,000 redeemable vouchers.
Prior to reaching the magic mark on Wednesday, the Brewers had come close on a few occasions, including an 11-game winning streak earlier this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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