Fastball

Benches Clear Between Phillies and Giants After Bryce Harper Gets Brushed Back

Things got heated on Wednesday in a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants after Bryce Harper was brushed off the plate. Here's how the scene unfolded:
Brady Farkas|
May 29, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants third base coach Matt Williams (9) checks in on Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (right) after he was nearly hit by a high and tight pitch during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
May 29, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants third base coach Matt Williams (9) checks in on Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (right) after he was nearly hit by a high and tight pitch during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports | D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

San Francisco Giants

The benches cleared on Wednesday afternoon in a contest between the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies.

After already seeing one inside pitch in the at-bat, Phillies' star Bryce Harper took exception to seeing a second one later in the same at-bat.

You can see the footage here, from Foul Territory, on social media:

Benches have cleared in the Phillies-Giants game after Bryce Harper was backed off the plate.

(Via: @NBCSphilly )

Look, it's understandable why Harper is upset: No one likes to see a 94 MPH projectile flying near their head, especially after you've already seen an inside pitch earlier in the at-bat, but there's no way that Kyle Harrison is trying to hit him. There's two strikes, there's two outs and there's two men on. The last thing that he wants to do is to load the bases, especially when he has a chance to get out of the inning there.

For what it's worth, given how the Phillies players defended Harper, it's obvious to see how connected this team is. He's their leader and they ride with him, but that still doesn't mean the reaction was justified.

The Phillies beat the Giants in this one, 6-1, to move to 39-18 on the season. The Giants fell to 29-28 after the loss. Harper was 1-for-5 at the plate and is now hitting .266 for the season. Harrison took the loss after throwing 5.0 innings. He's now 4-2 on the year with a 4.15 ERA.

Both teams will be off on Thursday.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

Published
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.