NEW YORK — Bryce Harper‘s first game at Citi Field as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies began with a long rain delay and ended with a short stay. Harper was ejected in the top of the fourth inning after chirping from the bench after striking out looking on a high fastball.
Three batters after Harper struck out on the 2-2 pitch, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler suddenly rushed out from the dugout in the middle of Cesar Hernandez‘s at-bat, yelling at home-plate umpire Mark Carlson.
As they argued, Harper sprinted out from the dugout sans helmet and Kapler had to push him away from Carlson.
It was Harper’s 12th career ejection and, incredibly, the first Phillies player to get ejected from a game since Justin De Fratus on June 16, 2015. Harper is second among active players in ejections, trailing only Matt Kemp, who has 14 and entered the majors six years before Harper.
The pitch Carlson rung him up on was a fastball up in the zone and on the outside corner, but certainly a reasonable call according to strike-zone data.
Harper didn’t say much to Carlson as he walked to the dugout after the call, but apparently kept yelling from the bench. He had also struck out in the first inning, taking two pitches for strikes from Steven Matz and then swinging through a 2-2 slider.
Harper is hitting .272/.410/.531 but has now struck out 29 times in 22 games and is on pace for 213 strikeouts. He fanned a career-high 169 times last season in 159 games.