Bryce Harper was ejected in the fourth inning after a tense exchange that started with a questionable strike call. During his at-bat, Harper took issue with a high pitch that was called a strike. He reacted under his breath, muttering “oh my god” before swinging at the next pitch, which also looked borderline. Frustrated with the earlier call, he made comments from the dugout a few batters later when another high pitch was called a strike. That seemed to be the final straw for the umpire, who tossed Harper from the game.
Manager Gabe Kapler came out to defend his player, demanding an explanation. He argued Harper hadn’t said anything warranting an ejection. Both Harper and Kapler were vocal, with Harper shouting that he couldn’t be tossed for what he said. Kapler echoed that, questioning the umpire’s reaction and restraint. The ump stood his ground and didn’t eject Kapler, but his quick trigger on Harper drew criticism. It looked like the ump was reacting to chirping from the dugout, not anything egregious. The whole thing felt like an overreaction in a low-stress situation early in the game.