The benches cleared, and both players had to be separated — and then held back. Harper and Strickland were both ejected, and suspensions likely are coming.
The pair of brawlers have a history — if you can call it that. During the 2014 National League Division Series, Harper took Strickland deep twice, but that appears to be about it.
It should be noted that Strickland went on to earn a World Series ring that year, while Harper still has never won a postseason series. But that doesn’t mean you let a couple of ultimately meaningless dingers go forgotten, right? Of course, that’s exactly what Strickland said he would do in 2014, telling reporters postgame, “You’ve got to forget it. You’ve got to have a short memory and go for it — because this isn’t about me and my stats. This is about the team and moving forward.”