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Phillies, Rockies clear benches after Harper charges at reliever Bird

Dustin Bradford / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies briefly cleared their benches Sunday after Phillies star Bryce Harper took umbrage with the actions of Rockies reliever Jake Bird.

Bird retired the Phillies in the top of the seventh and started jawing at the Phillies' dugout, also clapping his glove at his opponents. This enraged Harper, who bolted onto the field in an attempt to confront the right-hander. Both teams' benches and bullpens followed.

Order was restored before any punches were thrown. Both Harper and Bird were ejected.

Following the game, Bird said he was merely showing emotion after recording an out and wasn't directing anything toward the Phillies.

"You guys have kinda seen the last few weeks that I've been a little emotional on the mound sometimes," Bird told reporters, per Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette. "It's a good team, it was a big moment, and I got a little emotional out there. Probably a little too emotional, and they took exception to it."

The Phillies weren't convinced by Bird's explanation, as they still believed postgame that his gestures were directed at them. Harper also criticized the reliever for apparently ducking out of the melee after the benches cleared.

"I get emotion, I understand getting fired up after an inning and stuff like that, but once you make it about a team, or make it about yourself and the other team, that's when I've got a problem with it," Harper said, according to Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "You guys saw my reaction. I wasn't very happy. He did what he did, and after that, he kind of flew away. Went into the dugout.

"He gestured, 'Come on,' but that was about it. I didn't really see anything else. After that point I was just - I went out there just to go. J.T. (Realmuto) was right behind me, Taijuan (Walker), same thing. ... But, like I said, once we got out there, he (Bird) kind of flew into the dugout and just went away, and nobody really saw him after he did what he did."

The Rockies won 4-0, snapping Philadelphia's five-game winning streak.

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