DENVER — The Philadelphia Phillies lost Bryce Harper early and a game late Friday night.
Harper was ejected after striking out in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies, who hours later pulled out a 3-2 win in 11 innings to snap the Phillies' six-game winning streak.
Harper struck out on a 0-2 curveball from Ty Blach, dropped his bat and threw his helmet. The two-time NL MVP said something to plate umpire Brian Walsh and immediately was ejected.
Harper and Phillies manager Rob Thomson argued to no avail following Harper's 21st big league ejection. Harper had called a timeout after taking a borderline 0-1 sinker that appeared to be low and inside.
«I wasn't really that upset,» Harper said. «Obviously, I spiked my helmet, but that was a frustration from the call. And then I just kind of asked him, 'Hey, wait, that was a strike, but where do you have it?' I just wanted to have a conversation with you.
»Again, didn't cuss and scream or anything really big. That's kind of it. I'm not trying to get thrown out of the first inning in Colorado, obviously. So it's a bummer, man. I could have doubled in the gap or homered, and the game's changed, right?"
Via the pool report, crew chief Vic Carapazza added: «Brian gave him a long leash. He kept him in the game, and Bryce just kept arguing balls and strikes. At the end of the day, equipment violation is basically a big warning, and if you continue to talk about pitches, then Brian had to handle it.»
Jacob Stallings hit a tying home run with two outs in the ninth inning and Ezequiel Tovar had a winning single in the 11th for his career-best fourth hit in the Rockies' victory, which ended Philadelphia's streak of seven consecutive wins in series openers since an April 29 loss at
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