SAN FRANCISCO -- All eyes will be on a pair of veteran pitchers Tuesday night when both the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants could have a motive for retaliation following a bench-clearing brawl on Monday.
Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez (3-1, 2.90 ERA) and Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija (1-6, 4.50 ERA) will get the start one day after Washington slugger Bryce Harper and San Francisco reliever Hunter Strickland traded punches on the mound following an eighth-inning plunking.
Harper and Strickland were ejected.
The Nationals labeled the 95 mph fastball that hit Harper squarely at the top of his right leg a payback for the star having hit two home runs off Strickland in the 2014 National League Division Series.