Rockies Pitcher Jake Bird Takes The High Road, Compliments Bryce Harper After Bench-Clearing Spat

Philadelphia's Bryce Harper and Colorado's Jake Bird were caught in the middle of the scuffle between the Phillies and Rockies on Sunday. After tempers cooled off following the final out, Bird elected to take the high road while reflecting on the incident, while Harper went a different route with his postgame comments.

With the Rockies up 4-0 in the seventh inning, Bird took his time walking off the mound before clapping his glove at Philadelphia's dugout. Harper didn't appreciate the gesture and charged toward the reliever.

While it ended up just being a shouting match between the two sides, benches cleared, which is always a sight to behold on the diamond.

Harper and Bird were ejected from Sunday’s contest, which the Rockies held on to win by the score of 4-0.

After the game, Bird was honest about the situation saying his emotions may have gotten the better of him, but he has nothing but respect for the Philadelphia superstar.

"I get a little emotional on the mound sometimes," Bird explained. "It’s a good team. It was a big moment. I got a little emotional out there. They took exception to it.

"He’s a great player," Bird said of Harper. "He plays with emotion. I love that he plays with emotion. He’s a player I look up to."

While it was undoubtedly easier for Bird to be in a better mood after the game seeing as how his Rockies won, Harper wasn't about to compliment the opposition.

"I get emotional," Harper said, according to MLB.com. "I understand getting fired up for an inning and stuff like that. But once you make it about a team or make it about yourself and the other team, that’s when I’ve kind of got a problem with it."

Harper has been working his way back from injury and in his 10 games played this season the 30-year-old is hitting .333 with two home runs and five RBI.