At the weekend, Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper told Little Leaguers it is not OK to lose. He displayed that competitive spirit again on Monday as his brawl with San Francisco Giants pitcher Hunter Strickland led to the benches clearing.

Strickland hit Harper with an errant 98mph pitch in the eighth inning. The outfielder waved his bat at Strickland, strode towards the mound and threw his helmet at his opponent. Both men weigh in at over 200lbs, putting them comfortably in the heavyweight division and they traded – mostly missed – blows until their team-mates intervened. Asked what he thought when he saw Harper approaching him, Strickland replied “It’s go time.”

Zac (@DCzWall) I love Bryce Harper. #Nats pic.twitter.com/LcMnIxNXka

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Both players were ejected from the game, and Strickland had to be dragged from the field by three of his team-mates. It was the first time he had hit an opposing batter with a pitch this season. The two men do have history though – in the 2014 playoffs, Harper hit two home runs off Strickland. After Harper’s second homer, which he hit out the stadium, he stared Strickland down as he rounded the bases.

Harper said the past did not play a part in his reaction, however. “No, not in that situation,” Harper said. “Especially since it’s been three years and they won the World Series that year. So I wasn’t really thinking about it at all. But when somebody comes at you like that, throws a 90mph fastball where he did, I wasn’t very happy with it, and took it into my hands and tried to go after him.”

Harper added that he did not bear a grudge towards Strickland. “One thing I’ve got to say about Strickland is he hit me in the right spot, so I do respect him for that,” Harper said. “He didn’t come up and in toward my face like some guys do, so I respect him on that level.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jeff Samardzija goes after Bryce Harper as Daniel Murphy attempts to hold his team-mate back. Photograph: Thearon W Henderson/Getty Images

Harper had never been ejected for fighting before but he did get into a fight with his own team-mate, Jonathan Papelbon, during the 2015 season.

Washington went on to win Monday’s game 3-0.