Bryce Harper homers off nemesis Hunter Strickland
Bryce Harper is not going to the playoffs in his first season with the Philadelphia Phillies, but he still got what must have been a pretty sweet moment on the day of his team’s elimination.
Previously sitting for the second game of a Tuesday doubleheader against his old team, the Washington Nationals, Harper was called to pinch hit in the seventh inning.
The pitcher facing Harper: his nemesis Hunter Strickland.
As you might remember, the two players came to blows in 2017 when Strickland plunked Harper after the outfielder took him deep twice in the 2014 NLDS.
Facing Harper for just the second time since that incident, and for the first time as a member of the Nationals, plenty was on the line for Strickland. Then, this happened:
Bryce bomb. 💪 pic.twitter.com/tuVj5t9DAP
— MLB (@MLB) September 25, 2019
The solo homer pulled the Phillies within one run after a Trea Turner grand slam gave the Nationals a two-run lead.
Harper’s team was already bounced from playoff contention at the time, but that homer was him doing his best to prevent the Nationals from clinching a postseason berth on the same day. It wasn’t enough, however, as the Nationals held on for a 6-5 win and clinched a spot in the NL wild card game.
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