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Phillies’ Harper has last word in return to Washington
WASHINGTON, April 3, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Bryce Harper got a cold reception in
his return to Washington on Tuesday, but the Philadelphia slugger had the
last laugh with a home run in the Phillies’ 8-2 victory over the Nationals.
Harper, a six-time All-Star in seven seasons with the Nationals, inked a
record-shattering 13-year, $330 million free agent contract with the Phillies
in March, ending months of speculation about his future.
In his first return to Washington with his new team, Nats fans left no
doubt about their feelings, with raucous boos greeting Harper during pre-game
introductions and every time he took the field.
One bunch of fans sported T-shirts spelling out “T-R-A-I-T-O-R.”
When Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer struck out Harper in the first inning
the cheers were ecstatic, Nats fans clearly not mollified by Harper’s Tuesday
morning Instagram post thanking Washington and its fans for making him “one
of your own for the entire time I was part of the Nationals organization.”
Two innings later Harper went to the plate again to another chorus of boos
and his seven-pitch at-bat ended in another strike out by Scherzer.
In the fifth, Harper lined a curveball from Scherzer into right field for a
double to extend the inning after which Scherzer departed.
In the sixth, Philadelphia’s Jean Seguara belted a three-run double off
left-handed reliever Matt Grace to put the Phillies up 5-0.
Harper followed with a run-scoring single that made it 6-0 — and sparked
taunting chants from Phillies fans in attendance of “We’ve got Harper.”
Finally, in the eighth inning, Harper drilled a 2-2 fastball from Jeremy
Hellickson into the second deck of the stands for his third home run of the
season.
He flipped his bat toward the Nationals’ dugout before rounding the bases
then celebrated with his Phillies teammates — a Nationals treasure no more.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1033 hrs