Sunday’s matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Colorado Rockies got pretty heated, with star outfielder Bryce Harper at the center of a wild altercation.
The altercation occurred in the top of the seventh inning when Rockies reliever Jake Bird retired Phillies’ second baseman Bryson Stott to end the inning. Harper was not happy about something Bird did as he was walking off the field. He shouted at him, which Bird responded to, and chaos then ensued.
This led to Harper leaving the dugout and charging Bird as words continued to be exchanged. Both benches then cleared to help mediate the situation.
It took nearly both teams to keep Harper from getting to Bird. However, they were luckily able to keep the situation under control and avoided an all-out brawl.
The benches cleared in the 7th inning. 😳 pic.twitter.com/Ag1TZDVHHW
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) May 14, 2023
At first glance, it is unclear exactly what Harper was so upset about initially. However, it seems like Bird began to clap towards Harper as he walked off the field which caused the star outfielder to respond.
— Polar Bear Fan (@MPsMP4s) May 14, 2023
Both Harper and Bird were ejected for their involvement in this situation.
Bryce Harper and Jake Bird were both ejected from the game
— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) May 14, 2023
Harper has certainly built a reputation for being a passionate player on the field. Many around the MLB world took to social media to offer their opinion on the altercation.
Bryce Harper is ready to take on the entire Rockies roster with one arm. he would win. pic.twitter.com/aHTxITSssW
— Absolutely Hammered (@AH_Pod) May 14, 2023
This is Bryce Harper in a random game in May.
Do you think he would ever allow a Game 7 blowout to happen?pic.twitter.com/GMvMslW084
— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) May 14, 2023
Bryce Harper went at it with Rockies pitcher Jake Bird and both teams got into a scrum pic.twitter.com/zyBAml3VWg
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 14, 2023
Bryce Harper vs the entire state of Colorado pic.twitter.com/6lJfqLNiwb
— Justin Lever ❤️⚾️ (@JustinLever3) May 14, 2023
Bryce Harper in middle of heated bench clearing between Phillies and Rockies pic.twitter.com/xrCUCPHQZ3
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) May 14, 2023
Bryce Harper was NOT HAPPY with Jake Bird and the benches clear…
What could Bird have said?pic.twitter.com/FoXp0qg5YY
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) May 14, 2023
Tension between the two teams had been building throughout the series. Harper was seen jawing with the Rockies in Saturday’s game as well.
Bryce Harper is one of us pic.twitter.com/NbWV54Eser
— NBA Slime (@TerryFranconia) May 14, 2023
Harper was also probably frustrated due to the Phillies’ struggles in the game. They were trailing 4-0 when he decided to go after Jake Bird.
[NBC Sports Philadelphia on Twitter]