CINCINNATI – Things got chippy between the Reds and Giants during Thursday'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.
It was possibly 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 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. The batter could be seen yelling expletives imploring him to throw the pitch. Steer lined 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 fastball.
There were two outs in the eighth inning with the Giants owning a 3-0 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.
When Giants reliever Erik Miller struck out Sal Stewart to end the game, tempers flared again, with Miller and Stewart yelling at each other as players from both benches spilled onto the field.