Watch: Rockies, Phillies benches clear as Bryce Harper loses it

Jake Bird and the Rockies were understandably feeling it Sunday.

Bird felt like celebrating after a scoreless seventh inning in which he wiggled out of a two-men-on, no-out jam following two walks issued to open the frame. The Rockies were en route to their ninth win in 13 games after a dispiriting 8-20 start.

But Bryce Harper didn’t take too kindly to Bird pounding his glove while looking toward the Philadelphia Phillies’ dugout.

And if not for Colorado catcher Elias Diaz and Philadelphia third-base coach Dusty Wathan, Harper would have been in Bird’s face. Diaz briefly held up Harper, but it took Wathan to restrain Harper as he erupted.

By the time Harper was done carrying on, both dugouts emptied. Even the bullpens cleared out. But as Harper cooled, the arguments continued between players on both teams in front of Colorado’s dugout.

The benches cleared in the 7th inning. 😳 pic.twitter.com/Ag1TZDVHHW

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) May 14, 2023

Umpires ejected both Harper and Bird. It was just as well for Harper; he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in a designated-hitter role Sunday. And after teams returned to their dugouts, the rest of the game proceeded without incident.

Colorado finished out the 4-0 win two innings later. Kyle Freeland earned the win with six shutout innings preceding Bird’s relief appearance. Brenton Doyle had his second home run of the season, coming in the second inning.

But those occurrences won’t be what most remember about the Rockies’ Mother’s Day win.

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