Dodger fans at or watching Wednesday’s game between the Dodgers and Pirates at Dodger Stadium were treated to some different – if not exciting – Fourth of July fireworks … both after and during the game.

The postgame fireworks speak for themselves, a wonderful extravaganza to celebrate our nation’s birthday. But it’s what happened between the lines during the early evening game that fans will undoubtedly be talking about for weeks, if not years.

In a nutshell, the Dodgers won the three-hour and 23 minute contest by a score of 6-4 to complete a three-game sweep of the struggling Pittsburgh club. But the game had its moments – both good and bad.

Among the good was the 5.0 innings pitched by veteran left-hander Rich Hill, who allowed two runs on four hits, with one walk and five strikeouts, to improve his record to 2-3 and lower his ERA – albeit only slightly – to 4.56 over his 10 starts thus far this season.

But it wasn’t Hill’s pitching performance that Dodger fans will remember most about this Independence Day game, it was his prowess on the basepaths.

Leading off the fourth inning, the 38-year-old Boston, Massachusetts native and crafty 14-year MLB veteran collected his first hit of the season (and 19th of his career) on a perfectly executed bunt, which he got past Pirates right-hander Richard Rodriguez, to reach first base without a throw. He then took second base on a wild pitch by Rodriguez. After Joc Pederson popped out to Pirates second baseman Max Moroff, Hill took third base on yet another wild pitch by Rodriguez.

Hill’s perfectly executed bunt in the bottom of the fourth inning on Wednesday evening was his first base hit of the season and the 19th of his career. (Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

With one out and with Dodgers superhero Max Muncy at the plate, Dodger fans were already counting their chips that Hill would score what would be the fifth run of the game for the Dodgers.

He did not.

Muncy hit a flyball to short center field on which Hill tagged up and headed for home. But a perfect throw by Pirates All-Star center fielder Starling Marte nailed Hill at the plate, despite his headfirst slide, to complete the 8-2 double play. After being tagged out, Hill lay motionless on his back for several seconds, causing Dodger fans to hold their collective breaths. But the veteran left-hander then popped up and returned to the dugout to get his glove to pitch the top of the fifth inning, which he did quite efficiently on 12 pitches.

Fortunately, they did not kill Richie. However, during that fifth inning, Hill allowed two singles and was seen repeatedly massaging the left side of his neck.

Uh oh.

Sure enough, Hill was pinch-hit for in the bottom of the fifth inning by the team’s other old guy – 39-year-old / 16-year MLB veteran second baseman Chase Utley – who grounded into a force out to end the bottom of the fifth inning, in which the Dodgers scored two runs to make it a 6-2 ballgame.

The next bit of excitement came in the top half of the sixth inning when, with one out, Dodgers right-hander Daniel Hudson was ejected by first base umpire Jeff Nelson. The problem was, none of the 53,139 on hand at Dodger Stadium or the millions of viewers and listeners at home had a clue as to why.

What Dodger fans did have a clue to is that the 31-year-old Lynchburg, Virginia native and nine-year MLB veteran was absolutely enraged by the ejection … and he let Nelson know it.

It’s probably safe to say that Dodgers right-hander Daniel Hudson wasn’t giving first base umpire Jeff Nelson a friendly wave when he made this gesture towards him, which led to Hudson being ejected from Wednesday’s game. (Video Capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

“It was just a … and Jeff was on it, there was something with the hand showing the runner and having the ball, when you’re carrying the baseball when you come set as opposed to any type of deception,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained after the game. “So he wanted Daniel to have the hand available for the runner to see, or away from his body, or…

“I don’t really know the exact specifics of the rule, all I know is talking with Bob [Geren], my bench coach, Nellie had it right. There were some things kind of exchanged, and I didn’t think it would get to the point where he’d get tossed. I know Daniel will take ownership of that.”

What’s most interesting is that Hudson has put the ball against his right thigh to get a grip on it throughout his entire professional career.

“He does it all the time, that was sort of my issue as well,” Roberts said. “But the rule, as it states, is the rule, and looking back, Nellie interpreted it correctly.”

That rule is rule 8.02 (a)(3) which reads:

The pitcher shall not rub the ball on his glove, person or clothing;

Seriously? How does (very) briefly placing the ball against your thigh to get a grip on it for your next pitch even remotely constitute deception? If it does, then half of the pitchers (or more) in the game violate this rule on every pitch they make. As such, one has to suspect that Daniel Hudson and Jeff Nelson have some sort of history. If they did not, they most certainly do now.

Fireworks indeed.