Bryce Harper left many fans befuddled by the strange at-bat he took against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.
Harper’s Philadelphia Phillies lost 5-3 to the Brewers. Harper went 1-for-4 in the game, including an odd strikeout in the sixth inning.
Facing Brewers reliever Hoby Milner, Harper did not swing the entire at-bat. Milner actually threw Harper three straight balls at one point. But once he realized Harper was not swinging, Milner threw two straight strikes to get the strikeout.
https://twitter.com/CodifyBaseball/status/1681836610609106944
If you were left confused by that at-bat, you’re not alone. Even Milner said after the game he didn’t understand what was happening.
The content you all crave: Hoby Milner discussing the strange at-bat against Bryce Harper in which he took six pitches the entire way en route to a punchout looking.
“He just stuck to a game plan and credit to him for sticking to it, I guess.” pic.twitter.com/bS07xtzGQP
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) July 20, 2023
“He just stuck to a game plan and credit to him for sticking to it, I guess,” Milner said after the game, via Brewers reporter Curt Hogg.
Why did Harper go up there and refuse to swing the entire at-bat in a tie game? That’s unclear. But Harper was playing through an illness in the game.
The 30-year-old outfielder is battling a cold that left him with a fever and without his voice. And something led to him taking an at-bat in the sixth like he was a reliever who wanted nothing to do with it.
