Phillies' Bryce Harper Calls Out Ángel Hernández: 'It's the Same Story' Every Year

Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper was not impressed with a checked swing strikeout call made by umpire Ángel Hernández, his reaction to which got him ejected from Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"It's Ángel in the middle of something again," Harper told reporters after the game. "It's just, every year, it's the same story. ... It's the same thing over and over and over and over again. It's just not right."

Hernández called Harper out for a checked swing on a 3-2 count. Harper argued the call, was ejected, and flung his helmet into the crowd as he made his way to the dugout.

Harper's disagreements with Hernández stem back to his time with the Washington Nationals. He flirted with ejection after arguing with the umpire over two controversial strike-three calls in a 2012 game against the Houston Astros.

Last season, Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber was ejected from a contest against the Milwaukee Brewers when he slammed his bat and helmet on the ground following a 3-2 strikeout call by Hernández.

Hernández has a recorded 91.5 percent accuracy rate on calls this season, ranking him in the 80th percentile of MLB umpires, according to Umpire Scorecards.

Thursday's incident marks the third time this season, and the second time in two weeks, that Harper has been tossed by an umpire after an argument over strike calls.

Harper was ejected by plate umpire Alex Tosi on Sept. 15 for throwing his helmet and bat in frustration after striking out against the St. Louis Cardinals. Earlier in Harper's at-bat, Tosi had called a strike that appeared to go over the box.

"It's probably not the first time you're going to see Bryce get thrown out," Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters after Harper's ejection earlier this month, per NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman. "I don't think you have to say anything to Harp. He understands. He's very emotional, he's a huge competitor, but at the end of the night, he understands the game and he understands how important he is."

The MLB rulebook officially leaves swinging strike calls up to discretion of the umpire. The league defines a strike as a pitch that "is struck at by the batter and is missed," but does not offer further guidance as to what constitutes a swing.

Harper is slashing .295/.402/.502 this season.

Having already secured a NL Wild Card spot, the Phillies will face the New York Mets in a three-game series this weekend as they prepare for the postseason.