The Phillies' regular season is all but complete with the team having clinched a playoff birth and the National League's No. 1 Wild Card slot. But most of the team's stars remain in the lineup, as they look stay locked in before the playoffs begin next Tuesday. Bryce Harper is one of those stars, and was starting at first base and batting third on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. That, until he wasn't.
The Phillies' star faced a full count in this 3rd-inning at bat. He checked his swing on a low curveball and proceeded to take off his protective gear before walking to first base. That was the plan, until third base coach Angel Hernandez called Harper out on a swing. It's safe to say what followed was a candidate for Ejection Of The Year:
Yes, the replay showed it was a terrible call. But the best part may be Harper tossing his helmet into the crowd at the end, making the ejection extremely worth it for at least one person in attendance.
Remember, Hernandez has been at the center of several entertaining ejections at Citizens Bank Park over the last few years, notably when Kyle Schwarber reacted after a questionable strikeout call in the bottom of the 9th inning in a 2022 game against the Brewers.
As 94WIP afternoon show producer Jack Fritz later noted, Harper's ejection mirrored a 2010 exchange between Phillies great Ryan Howard and third base umpire Scott Barry:
Harper, like Howard in 2010 and Schwarber in 2022, got the rest of the night off. He and the Phillies now prepare for a trip to New York to close out the regular season against the Mets. We will then soon find out the team's NL Wild Card opponent, with that series set to begin at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday.