Nationals, Pirates brawl after Harper exit [Video]

The third inning of the Nationals-Pirates game featured—in order, each resulting from the one before—a fake tag, a Bryce Harper injury and a bench-clearing brawl.

In the third, Bryce Harper tripled. No big deal, right? Except third baseman Jung-ho Kang faked applying a tag, which caused Harper to slide into the bag awkwardly. So awkwardly, in fact, that Harper evidently injured his wrist and had to leave the game thereafter.

This being baseball, the Nationals expressed their displeasure by having A.J. Cole throw behind Kang.

It’s worth noting that Kang and Cole weren’t behind the escalation. Those honors instead went to a combination of Jayson Werth, Francisco Cervelli, and Sean Rodriguez, who always seems down to throw hands.

Cole and Rodriguez were ejected for their parts in the would-be brawl.

Jean G. Thomas

Sean Rodriguez fights the entire Washington Nationals roster, topples Gerrit Cole on a happy Sunday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/clCHBoDtaL

— Stephen J. Nesbitt (@stephenjnesbitt) September 25, 2016