Harper-Strickland brawl mars Nationals' 3-0 win over Giants

SAN FRANCISCO - The Giants won the war over the Nationals in the 2014 playoffs. That apparently didn't stop Hunter Strickland from starting a fight against Bryce Harper three years later.

A major benches-clearing brawl broke out after Strickland drilled Harper with a first-pitch fastball in the top of the eighth inning today as a long-festering vendetta marred what eventually ended as a 3-0 victory for the Nationals over the Giants.

Strickland had faced Harper only twice before, both times in the 2014 National League Division Series, both times with Harper launching tape-measure homers off him. The Giants, of course, won that series in four games and went on to win their third World Series in five seasons.

Anytime there had been the potential for another encounter since, Giants manager Bruce Bochy had pulled Strickland and turned to a left-handed reliever. There was no such move today, and so there were fireworks.

With two outs and the Nationals leading by two runs in the top of the eighth, Strickland fired his first pitch - a 98-mph fastball - directly at Harper's right hip. The Nationals slugger immediately started yelling at Strickland, walked toward the mound, threw down his bat and eventually threw his helmet (nearly in the direction of the pitcher).

Then both participants threw punches before teammates from both sides converged on the scene. By the time it was all over, Dusty Baker was pulling Harper away, trying to prevent his young star from doing anything else that would increase the punishment he's already certain to receive. Three Giants players and a coach were needed to drag Strickland off the field.

Only Harper and Strickland were ejected, but several others wound up on the ground in the melee.

It was an ugly scene in what to that point had been a sleepy Memorial Day matinee, with Tanner Roark dominating for seven innings and making a couple of big hits by his teammates hold up.

Roark tossed seven scoreless innings, continuing the dominance he established last week against the Mariners. With 13 consecutive scoreless innings overall, the right-hander has lowered his ERA from 4.82 to 3.98.

Ryan Zimmerman got the Nationals going with a towering, second-inning homer. Zimmerman's blast, which traveled 420 feet to left-center, was his 14th home run of the season but his first in 23 days.

That lone run held up for five innings on a day in which there was precious little offense, but it did put pressure on Roark not to give in at all to the San Francisco lineup. He delivered with his second straight dominant performance, allowing only one runner to reach scoring position in his first five innings, then pitching out of a couple of mini-jams thanks to excellent movement on all of his pitches.

Roark was aided by catcher Matt Wieters, who threw out two would-be basestealers to prevent the Giants from stringing together rallies.

The Nationals added a much-appreciated insurance run in the top of the sixth. After Zimmerman produced a two-out single, Daniel Murphy drove a double high off the right field wall. Zimmerman scored easily, but there might have been a play at the plate had Justin Ruggiano's throw not sailed past the cutoff man.

They scored another insurance run moments after the fight, with Murphy singling home Brian Goodwin (who replaced Harper).

Shawn Kelley pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth before giving way to Koda Glover, who pitched the ninth for his sixth save.