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Washington Nationals reliver Aaron Barrett and Colorado Rockies outfielder Brandon Barnes decided to have some fun before Wednesday’s afternoon game in Colorado, engaging in an epic post-National Anthem standoff that lasted all the way up until just prior to first pitch.

It was reminiscent of the standoff between Joe Kelly and Scott Van Slyke during the NLCS last October, except this time the two combatants had some outside accomplices to help them beat the 90 degree heat. They received refreshments, sunscreen and pep talks from coaches and teammates alike.

via @federalsbaseball
via @federalbaseball

Both Barrett and Barnes remained on the field all through warmups before the top of the first inning and even as Denard Span entered the batter’s box as the game’s first hitter. They knew their time was running out but neither wanted to back down first. Barnes tried to come to a conclusion through a game of rock-paper-scissors but Barrett was not taking that route out.

Ultimately, that was a smart choice by the Nationals pitcher because Barnes eventually gave up after being yelled at by the first base umpire. After pleading with the umpire and gesturing in Barrett’s direction as if to say “look, he’s standing over there too!” the Rockies outfielder threw his hands up in defeat and took the L.

Barrett was absolutely pumped to come out on top.

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GIF via @federalbaseball

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