How’s that for making baseball fun again?
In the top of the eighth inning in San Francisco on Monday, Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland beaned Washington Nationals superstar Bryce Harper with a fastball to the right hip. Harper immediately charged the mound, tossing his helmet to the side and began throwing punches at Strickland.
Benches proceeded to clear.
WATCH a longer version of the brawl here.
Harper received a four game suspension and Strickland was handed a six game ban, Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday. Both players appealed, and Harper’s punishment was reduced to three games, per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
The outcome of Strickland’s appeal is not yet known.
It appears Strickland was still upset about Harper hitting two home runs off him during the 2014 NLDS — including a game-tying blast in Game 4, which Harper stood in the batter’s box to admire. The Giants went on to win that game, 3-2, and ultimately the World Series.
After the game, Strickland denied that he was retaliating for what happened in the postseason.
Harper — speaking to reporters after the game — said, “It’s not relevant, that was three years ago… I don’t know why he’s thinking about it. He’s got a World Series ring.”
“You never want to get suspended or anything like that, but sometimes you’ve got to go and get him. You can’t hesitate. You either go to first base, or you go after him. And I decided to go after him.”
Monday was the first time Strickland faced Harper since the outfielder homered off him in that 2014 series.
The Nationals won the ballgame, 3-0.
Both players were thrown out — Harper’s ninth career ejection, Strickland’s first.
Giants catcher Buster Posey did not immediately go to stop Harper, indicating he may not agree with hitting a guy almost three years after he took you deep.
One Twitter user suggested Posey has a surgically repaired ankle and did not want to take any chances. Posey had the surgery in 2011.
Giants star pitcher Madison Bumgarner made a business decision and didn’t get involved in the fray. He’s currently recovering from an injured left shoulder, suffered in a dirt bike accident.
Harper is tied for the National League lead in home runs (15) and is fifth in RBI (41).