CINCINNATI -- Things got chippy between the Reds and Giants during Thursday afternoon's three-game series finale at Great American Ball Park, resulting in Cincinnati reliever Connor Phillips being ejected in the top of the eighth inning and both benches clearing after the final out of the Giants' 3-0 victory.
The culmination of incidents came after Giants reliever Erik Miller struck out Sal Stewart to end the game. Miller, who notched his first save, yelled at Stewart and pointed at him to head to the dugout.
Stewart, who hit three home runs in the first two games of the series for Cincinnati wins, yelled back at Miller as players from both benches and bullpens spilled onto the field.
"I was just fired up," Miller said. "I probably let the emotions get the best of me. I’m not trying to direct anything specifically to him. I have no problem with him. I just said a sentence that most hitters probably don't like to hear, so I can understand why he was upset. It was just more like I was just really fired up. It wasn't anything personal. He happened to be the guy at the plate."
Stewart preferred not to get into too much detail about the exchange.
“I had my at-bat. I struck out. He came down the mound looking at me and pointing at me, and just yelling," Stewart said. "Tempers flared, things happened. It’s all good. I’m not going to make light into that. We won the series and things happen, you know? Tough game today, but we won the series. We’re going to go to Minnesota and play [Friday]. I’m not going to talk more about that. We leave things on the field and whatever happens, happens.”
Reds manager Terry Francona said he didn't see the initial exchange between Miller and Stewart.
“I actually missed it because when he struck out ... I usually put my head down and sulk back up to the tunnel. I kind of was on the late show," said Francona, who went back onto the field to help restore order. No punches were thrown.
The issues between the two clubs were a spillover from an incident that happened late in Wednesday's contest.
One night earlier in the seventh inning, Giants reliever JT Brubaker took umbrage when Reds left fielder Spencer Steer called a timeout at the last possible moment as the right-hander delivered a pitch. Before his next pitch, Brubaker let the pitch clock tick close to zero and made Steer wait. Steer could be seen yelling and imploring Brubaker to throw the pitch.
Steer ultimately won the exchange by lining a single into left field.
In the bottom of the second inning on Thursday, Giants pitcher Landen Roupp drilled Steer in the ribs with a first-pitch, four-seam fastball.
“It slipped," Roupp said.
Steer didn't appear surprised that he was hit by a pitch.
“Yeah, there was definitely a chance," he said.
According to Statcast, Roupp entered the series finale having thrown only five four-seamers all season and just one to a right-handed batter. The pitch to Steer was the first of only two four-seam fastballs Roupp threw on Wednesday.
Steer believed it was a purpose pitch.
“Yeah. I mean the guy had pretty good command of his fastball today," Steer said. "And you have a big miss like that -- first at-bat, first pitch -- you can be the judge of that.”
No warnings were issued by umpires, however. Steer gave no thought to going after Roupp.
“What am I going to do? It isn’t really that big of a deal. I’m getting first base," Steer said. "I don’t see a reason to really retaliate there. We’re focused on winning baseball games. All that stuff, it’s not important.”
There were two outs in the eighth inning with the Giants holding their three-run lead, when Phillips plunked Willy Adames in the left leg with an 0-2 fastball. Adames gave Phillips a long look as he took off his helmet before being stopped from escalating by home-plate umpire Junior Valentine.
Some Giants players emerged from the dugout and some Reds relievers were at the threshold of the bullpen door, but the situation did not intensify further. After Adames took first base, the umpires convened and ejected Phillips.
“We tried to go in the first one, obviously, I missed. Tried to go in again and it hit him," Phillips said. "No warnings. It is what it is. It’s the same crew from last night. They know what happened last night and they came in and hit Spence. Maybe it’s just [the umpires] are trying not to let the game get out of hand. I don’t know.”
Both clubs will have to wait a bit for another meeting. They don't play again until Aug. 24-26, at San Francisco.