Heads Up - D-Backs & Dodgers Clear Benches

Chief Jeff Nelson's crew may want to send MLB an alert after Arizona defeated Los Angeles Friday night. That's because the Diamondbacks and Dodgers cleared the benches after D-Backs pitcher Archie Bradley struck out LA's Will Smith to end the extra-inning game, an exchange between the celebrating club and the team that just lost in 11 innings.

Earlier in the inning, Bradley induced a foul air out from former teammate AJ Pollock, who rallied against HP Umpire Ramon De Jesus' foul ball call so vehemently (he thought the pitch struck his wrist and not the bat) that the Dodgers unsuccessfully challenged the play, which stood upon Replay Review.

Gil's Call: For what it's worth, I believe the pitched ball first struck the knob of Pollock's bat before traveling up his wrist and into the air. Without any initial ruling, my instinct would be toward "foul ball" & dead ball by virtue of the foul ball touching the batter's person while he was in the batter's box (certainly not a hit-by-pitch). With the on-field ruling of foul fly out, I do believe the evidence was not clear and convincing to overturn the call, so "call stands" does appear to be the proper outcome.

Bradley expressed disproval with Pollock's continued argument of the call—Pollock continued to argue after slowly walking from first base to the Dodgers' third-base dugout—and tensions grew through to the final out of the game.

The Verdict: Pollock felt he was struck on the hand by the pitch, which he was not—he may very well have been touched by the batted ball, however. Bradley got involved in the Pollock vs De Jesus conversation—an overstep of boundaries—and things escalated from there. If Pollock was indeed arguing a Replay Review, De Jesus could have warned or ejected him. Either way, it was the umpire's decision to make, not Bradley's...a dispute that clearly carried over through the final out of the game.

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Diamondbacks & Dodgers meet on the field after LA loses (ARI)