Bryce Harper was suspended for two months
Philadelphia Phillies manager suspends Bryce Harper because he was caught trying to
Opponents donning road uniforms at Nationals Park have served as reminders of the Washington Nationals’ recent history for the second straight home series. Late last month, Juan Soto made a comeback wearing a San Diego Padres jersey. The Philadelphia Phillies, who have Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper in their lineup, came on Friday night.
In a game where the Phillies overcame a six-run hole to equalize the score late in the game, Harper and Turner came to bat in the ninth inning with the opportunity to each play hero. But Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan would have none of it. After getting Harper out with a high fastball that made the former star look foolish, Finnegan got Turner to fly out harmlessly with the tying run on second base and then got J.T. Realmuto to pop up to seal an 8-7 victory.
After persuading Martinez to allow him to pitch the ninth, Finnegan stated, “I just felt like I had some more in me.” “I wanted to drain the tank. I thought I could go out there and grab some more outs for us after a great, hard-fought game.
The Nationals, who led 6-0 after two innings, got an RBI single from Lane Thomas in the eighth after the Phillies rallied to square the game at 7. Before Finnegan begged Martinez to end the game, he had intended to employ Andrés Machado.
Jake Benett, a Nats prospect, gained command and was promoted thanks to a “peanut.”
Turner, Harper, and Schwarber shared a uniform for the first time on Friday when they took on the Nationals. The Phillies and Nationals finished Friday with 25-32 records, which is sad for the Phillies and slightly encouraging for the Nationals, despite Philadelphia having a much greater budget.
Harper, who has been the Nationals’ face almost since the organization selected him first overall in the 2010 draft, finished 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and a walk. A two-time MVP (his first coming with the Nationals in 2015), he signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies in 2019 as a free agent.
At the 2021 trade deadline, Washington sent Turner and Schwarber to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox, respectively, instead of keeping them. Schwarber is only hitting.166 after going 2 for 5. Turner is hitting.235 after going 1 for 5.
The team’s emphasis on developing a youthful core was reinforced by the acquisition of four players, including Friday’s starting lineup of Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz, in exchange for Turner and Max Scherzer from the Dodgers.
In 2022, Schwarber and Harper teamed up, agreeing to a four-year, $79 million pact. Turner then signed an 11-year, $300 million contract this offseason. Even Kevin Long, the hitting coach for the Nationals from 2018 to 2021, agreed to a contract to work for the Phillies in the same capacity following the 2021 campaign.
“I will always cherish these men,” Nationals Manager Dave Martinez declared. “We’ve developed this friendship over the years, and even though they play for different teams, I check in with them occasionally to see how they’re doing, especially now that we have to face them.”
The Nationals have profited from better starting pitching, particularly from Gray, who has advanced significantly in his second season despite his recent decline in effectiveness.
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In the first two innings, Gray threw 48 pitches, leaving two runners on base each time. In the first inning, Jeimer Candelario gave Schwarber an early lead with an RBI double that cleared the outstretched glove. Before Candelario blasted a two-run double, Corey Dickerson added a sacrifice fly, and Alex Call scored an RBI single in the second inning. After working an 11-pitch at-bat, Joey Meneses singled to score Candelario, bringing the score to 6-0.
As he settled in, Gray once again demonstrated his talent for making plays, even when he wasn’t at his best. His only error came on the opening pitch of the fourth inning, when he gave up a single home run to Nick Castellanos. He then proceeded to throw 30 pitches over the next three innings, retiring nine of the ten men he faced. After the lead was reduced to 7-3, Castellanos helped chase Gray with a two-run home run in the sixth inning.
The Nationals’ bullpen began to come under scrutiny from the Phillies. Harper was put on the corner by Carl Edwards Jr. in the seventh inning. Hunter Harvey was Martinez’s next option, and he loaded the bases by walking Harper on four pitches. Castellanos reduced the margin to one run with a two-run single.
In the eighth, Mason Thompson gave up a hit and a walk while recording one out. Finnegan then came in to face Schwarber, who grounded out to CJ Abrams. It seemed like a double play that would end the inning as Abrams tapped second. However, he mishandled the throw first, enabling a run to score and level the score.
In the bottom of the inning, the Nationals then produced a run with two outs. Call took a walk from right-hander Connor Brogdon, stole second, and scored on Thomas’s single up the middle after Ruiz struck out and Abrams grounded out.
After then, Finnegan recorded three more outs against some well-known players to tie the Phillies and the Nationals.
Thomas commented, “It means a lot,” regarding his tie with the Phillies in the standings. “We weren’t anticipated to be here. We can be seated fairly comfortably here in a few months if we take a few series, like we have in the past month.
What else should you know about the Nationals’ victory?
updates on injuries
For low Class A Fredericksburg on Friday, Sean Doolittle recorded two outs while giving up one run and two hits. This was Doolittle’s second appearance in two days; since May 27, he has made three rehab appearances, continuing to recover from elbow surgery, including an internal brace last season. Martinez reported that Doolittle was throwing at 92 mph the previous evening. Following his performance, the organization will reevaluate Doolittle’s development.
Victor Robles took part in batting practice and some agility drills on the field after being sidelined since May 8 due to back spasms. According to Martinez, it is hoped that Robles can begin running on Wednesday.
Due to a left oblique strain, catcher Israel Pineda will be out for some time. After recovering from a right finger fracture that put her on the injured list at the beginning of the year, Pineda left for high school in Wilmington on May 25. Sept. 11 of the previous season was Pineda’s major league debut.
