WATCH: Bryce Harper mouths off Rays pitcher as benches clear after Nick Castellanos' hit by pitch
Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper was in the spotlight on Tuesday after his teammate Nick Castellanos was hit by a pitch by the Tampa Bay Rays in the second game of the series.
Nick Castellanos was hit by a pitch for the fourth time in a week. Rays reliever Edwin Uceta hit him on the back in the eighth inning as the temperature rose in Citizens Bank Park.
Bryce Harper, who was at second base after his double against Uceta before Castellanos' at-bat, rushed toward the pitcher, jawing at him, for a potentially heated confrontation before Rays players swayed him away from Uceta.
The hit by pitch led to both benches clearing and Uceta being ejected from the game. The ejection compounded the misery for the Rays reliever as he had conceded five runs in the eighth inning, including a two-run homer from Trea Turner to give the Phillies a 9-4 lead, the eventual score of the game.
Bryce Harper's dry run continues after fan interference
Earlier in the game, Bryce Harper thought he had extended his team's lead by a run in the fifth inning after his solo shot traveled over the fence in deep right field. However, the home run was called back due to fan interference, chalking off, what would have been Harper's first home run in over a month.
While Harper has been finding it hard since the All-Star break, the Phillies would be sweating on the fitness of Kyle Schwarber. The two-time All-Star gave the Phillies the lead with his solo home run in the first, his 14th home run from the leadoff spot.
Schwarber broke the record for the most home runs from the leadoff spot in a single season, previously held by Alfonso Soriano. However, the former World Series winner left the game with a suspected left elbow injury in the third inning and did not come back with Buddy Kennedy pinch-hitting.
Phillies fans will be hoping it's nothing serious as the team will be relying on Schwarber's fireworks in the postseason.