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Phillies star Bryce Harper ejected, launches helmet into stands after charging at umpire Ángel Hernández

The Pirates snapped the Phillies' seven-game win streak on Thursday night

Bryce Harper lit up umpire Ángel Hernández after he was called on a checked swing Thursday. (AP/Matt Rourke)
Bryce Harper lit up umpire Ángel Hernández after he was called on a checked swing Thursday. (AP/Matt Rourke)

One lucky 10-year-old fan at Citizens Bank Park secured an incredible souvenir Thursday, thanks to an irate Bryce Harper.

In the third inning of the Philadelphia Phillies’ 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Harper was called out after he swung on a ball that was way down in the dirt. Harper checked his swing and tried to stop — on replay, it looked like he did so successfully — but third-base umpire Ángel Hernández said otherwise.

Hernández called Harper out, which set the Phillies star off. Harper charged at Hernández and screamed at him all the way up the third-base line, and multiple Phillies coaches had to pull him back even after he was thrown out of the game.

Harper finally let it go and walked back to the dugout, receiving a huge standing ovation from the Philadelphia crowd as he did. That's when he launched his helmet up into the stands behind the dugout.

While the replay made it seem like Harper stopped well short of a swing, Hernández thought he went around. As that’s not reviewable, and Harper’s reaction was undoubtedly an ejectable offense, his night was over.

Harper said after the game that Hernández told him he'd realize that he swung after he saw the replay, which wasn't the case.

"Ángel in the middle of something again. It's every year, same story, same thing," Harper said, via NBC Sports' Corey Seidman. "I'm probably going to get fined for being right, again."

Harper's helmet at least went to a good place, and didn't hurt any fans on the way down. The helmet was caught by 10-year-old Hayden Dorfman, and Harper later signed it for him, too.

The game was tied 1-1 when Harper was ejected. Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run in the first inning to put the Phillies up early, and Jared Triolo hit an RBI double for Pittsburgh to tie things up in the third.

The Pirates jumped up in the fifth after Triolo hit another RBI double and then was hit in by Jack Suwinski. While Trea Turner scored in the eighth on an error, it wasn't enough. The Pirates held on to take the one-run win.

The Phillies entered Thursday’s game on a seven-game winning streak, which included a four-game series sweep of the New York Mets and a pair of wins over the Pirates. Philadelphia has already clinched a playoff spot, though the Atlanta Braves clinched the NL East title. The Pirates have already been eliminated from contention and will miss the playoffs for an eighth straight season. The win on Thursday snapped a three game losing skid.