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.
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.
“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.
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