Cardinals & Reds FIGHT: Brawl Interrupts NL Central Showdown (VIDEO)

WATCH: NL Central Rivals BRAWL In Cincinnati

The Cardinals and Reds' NL Central showdown broke into a fight Tuesday night when tensions between the two teams reached a boiling point. The brawl broke out in the first inning, not long after Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips blasted the Cardinals.

[Phillips] dug in to lead off the bottom of the first, waving his bat around the ground as usual. He and Molina quickly got into an angry exchange - Phillips took off his helmet, Molina removed his mask. Both benches and bullpens emptied.

La Russa and Baker talked animatedly in the middle of the crowd. Reds third baseman Scott Rolen - a former Cardinal - went after St. Louis pitcher Chris Carpenter, who beat the Reds 7-3 in the series opener on Monday night. Carpenter ended up pinned against the backstop screen while Rolen was pulled away.

Cueto also ended up against the screen, furiously kicking players away. The altercation lasted seven minutes.

Both managers were ejected, but all of the players remained in the game. The Cardinals went on to win, 8-4, and regained first place in the NL Central with the victory. Scroll down for video of the fight.

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