The benches cleared during Wednesday’s Philadelphia Phillies-San Francisco Giants game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif. after Bryce Harper received consecutive pitches up-and-in during an at-bat.
Harper was batting in the top of the fourth inning against starting pitcher Kyle Harrison and had a 1-2 count with runners on second and third, two outs, and his Phillies leading 2-0. Giants catcher Curt Casali seemed to want the 1-2 pitch from Harrison up in the zone, but he missed up and in, near Harper’s right elbow.
Harper backed out of the way of the pitch but seemed to shout something at Harrison after the pitch. Then on the next pitch, Harrison missed high and even further inside, prompting an even longer staredown from Harper, and the benches to clear on both sides.
Benches clear in The Bay pic.twitter.com/6ycCTGBVng
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) May 29, 2024
That pitch was determined to be a foul ball that actually hit off Harper’s bat, if you can believe it.
After things resumed, Harper still had to continue his at-bat. He ended up grounding out.
The bench-clearing incident between the Giants and Phillies involving Harper coincidentally comes seven years to the day that he charged the mound after being hit by then-Giants pitcher Hunter Strickland.
