Drama between Nationals and Pirates as Bryce Harper leaves injured

Bryce Harper left Sunday afternoon’s game between his Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates with an apparent left hand injury. What led to Harper’s hurt hand also led to the benches clearing at PNC Park.

Harper legged out a triple in the top of the third inning and when he neared third Jung Ho Kang appeared to fake a tag – the throw was off line so the ball wasn’t even near Kang – causing Harper to slide awkwardly and jam his left hand into the base. Harper stayed in the game initially after a quick visit from a trainer but was replaced in right field by Chris Heisey in the bottom of the inning.

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Fake tags are thought to be straddling the line of fair play, so Nationals pitcher A.J. Cole took retaliatory matters into his own hands and fired a fastball behind Kang. The rest of the players poured onto the field and soon a mass of humanity surrounded home plate. Cole was immediately ejected while Pirates first baseman Sean Rodriguez was tossed for his role in the fracas.

With Harper believed to be already nursing a shoulder injury, another knock, even a minor one is obviously not good news. And for it to happen on a move that some in the game find cheap will understandably ratchet up the emotions.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr