WASHINGTON — Memorial Day fireworks erupted at AT&T Park in San Francisco Monday after a 98 mph fastball from pitcher Hunter Strickland hit Washington Nationals’ star Bryce Harper on the hip. Harper pointed his bat at the Giants pitcher, charged the mound and hurled his batting helmet at Strickland, which sailed way wide. Strickland and Harper each landed solid punches before the two teams met at the mound and players jostled with one another.
Appearing to get the worst of the melee were Giant teammates Michael Morse and Jeff Samardzija, who collided head-to-head.Harper and Strickland were both ejected from the game. The Nationals went on to win the opener of a three-game series between the two teams, 3-0. It was unclear whether Strickland intended to hit Harper. But the last time the two met, during the 2014 division playoff series, Harper belted home runs off Strickland in two separate games. “History,” said F.P.
Santangelo, an analyst for the National’s broadcast team, just as Harper was hit. “And that was intentional to my mind,” Santangelo added as the brawl ensued. Before the Nationals departed for a West Coast swing, Harper ― a four-time All-Star and winner of the National League MVP ― told a group of Washington-area youth baseball players over the weekend that there are “no participation trophies, OK? First place only.”
This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Chris D'Angelo HuffPostMay 29, 2017
