Angry, Bryce Harper ran towards the mound, threw his helmet and started punching relief pitcher Hunter Strickland, who had hit him with a fastball, in the game that the Washington Nationals ended up winning 3-0 against the San Francisco Giants.
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MLB baseball game interrupted by huge brawl between players
Harper was hit in the right hip by a 98 mph fastball that was the first pitch thrown by Strickland in the eighth inning with two outs and no runners on base. Washington was winning 2-0.
The Nationals' star didn't hesitate. He pointed his bat towards the San Francisco pitcher, shouted at him and ran towards the mound.
No one got in Harper's way towards the mound. The batter took off his helmet and threw it, without hitting the pitcher.
Then, the brawl began. Strickland, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall, punched Harper in the face. They separated for a moment before throwing punches again.
That's when Harper landed a punch to the pitcher's nose, while the benches and bullpens emptied.
Michael Morse and Jeff Samardzija, of the Giants, got involved in a heated confrontation as they tried to separate the fighters. Strickland was taken to the dugout by three Giants players. Harper was held back by a teammate.
The umpires ejected both players, who had old grudges. In the 2014 National League Division Series, Harper hit two home runs off Strickland. After hitting the second one, he stared at the reliever as he rounded the bases in the fourth game.
Tanner Roark (5-2) struck out five and allowed six hits in seven innings. The Nationals, leaders of the East Division, started a nine-game road series in the West, securing their sixth victory in eight games.
Source: AP
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