The Philadelphia Phillies finished their series with the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday afternoon. It was supposed to be a typical West Coast day game to finish off the series. However, the road-weary, gray-outfitted team from Philly received a scare that could’ve derailed the hottest team in Major League Baseball.
Phillies Third Baseman, Alec Bohm, stood in the on-deck circle awaiting his turn to face the San Francisco Giants hurler, Kyle Harrison, in the fourth inning. He watched in horror as a fastball missed arguably the team’s most important batter in the lineup. Then came the second one in almost the same place as the one just before it.
For a moment, it felt like a nightmare that Philadelphia endured a few seasons ago when they lost Bryce Harper for an extended period which caused all kinds of issues with the Phillies lineup. How did the star respond?
Philadelphia Phillies Star Frustrations Boil Over In First Inning
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Philadelphia Phillies first baseman, Bryce Harper, already seemed frustrated to start the afternoon. Harper holds himself to the All-Star standard that he has showcased in his career. Any mistake is practically unacceptable, and sometimes Harper’s emotions can show on the field.
In the first inning at-bat against Kyle Harrison, Harper seemed to be labored by a swing after a strikeout. The Philadelphia Phillies television made a mention of it on their broadcast. The All-Star bashed a bat in the dugout during the commercial break before taking the field for the bottom of the first.
Bryce Harper attempted to dig a short throw out of the dirt from starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez but did not come up with the baseball which skipped its way towards the Phillies dugout. Following the play, the All-Star remained slumped over for a few moments sending panic across the Tri-State area. Harper remained in the game.
Fourth Inning Fastball Is Scary Reminder Of 2021 Injury
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In the 4th inning, Harper took a pair of fastballs up and in close to his chin from Harrison. The benches cleared starting with the visiting Phillies promptly followed by the hometown Giants. Ultimately, the situation resolved itself after some minimum pushing and shoving. The game resumed with Philadelphia defeating San Francisco by a 6-1 score.
Harper finished the game 1-5 with an RBI. However, the superstar had some straightforward words in the postgame media session. “He didn’t mean to,” Harper said. “Just don’t want to get hit in the face. You get hit in the face, man, it’s not fun. That’s about it.”
It seems understandable that Bryce Harper is touchy about being hit by baseballs during at-bats given recent history. In 2021, Harper was hit in the face with a 97-mph from Genesis Cabrera but was not seriously injured. He was not so lucky to avoid the injury bug in 2022 after a fastball fractured his thumb causing a two-month stint on the injured list for the Philadelphia Phillies superstar.
If you’ve followed me, you know I enjoy a good, fun fact. Courtesy of Philly Voice, here is a tidbit providing context to the fourth-inning encounter:
A fun fact: Harrison made his MLB debut last August at Citizens Bank Park. In the first inning of his first major league outing, he allowed a two-run home run, the first earned runs of his career. That homer was hit by… Bryce Harper.
Fascinating.
Harper’s Odd History With San Fran… On The Same Date?
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Bizarrely enough, this isn’t the first time that Bryce Harper and the San Francisco Giants have found themselves face-to-face between the white lines on May 29th. Almost a decade ago, Bryce Harper was still a member of the Washington Nationals outfield in 2017. Harper charged the mound after taking a fastball to the hip from Giants reliever Hunter Strickland.
The two athletes had a history already. Harper launched a homerun off Strickland in the 2014 National League Division Series complete with a stare down while touching the three white, rectangular bases and irregular-pentagon-shaped home plate. If you want to get nerdy about it, technically, it is an “isosceles right pentagon“. Go blow someone’s mind with that one!
The at-bat on May 29, 2017, was Strickland’s first opportunity to get his revenge for the postseason embracement suffered at the hands of the Washington Nationals phenom
Honestly, Major League Baseball should just avoid sending Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies to San Francisco in the first two months over the next decade or so to avoid another Bay Area bruhaha.
About The Author
Christopher Babos is a genuine sports & entertainment journalist with diverse credentials in writing, broadcasting, and digital media. He can be located on X for real-time takes (@CBabosWrites). With various roles in the sports industry over two decades, Chris can speak with authority on the topics he covers. Additional insightful sports articles are located here.
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