Bryce Harper made John Smoltz look really darn good on Tuesday night.
The Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harper stepped up to the plate against Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers in the first inning of World Series Game 3 with a runner on first and the score tied 0-0. Right before Harper’s at-bat, Smoltz, calling the game for FOX, made a prediction.
“I’ll be kind of shocked if Bryce is not going to the plate sitting on a breaking ball,” said Smoltz. “At some point, McCullers has to throw him fastballs to keep him honest. But Bryce is so good against off-speed, and we know he likes to swing early and swing big.
“If he stays on the breaking ball and gets one in the middle of the plate, loud noise,” Smoltz added.
Not 15 seconds later, Harper made Smoltz look like Nostradamus. Wouldn’t you know it, Harper got an 85 mph curveball from McCullers right down the middle on the very first pitch of the at-bat. Sitting on it Harper was indeed as he kissed that ball goodbye for a two-run homer to make it 2-0 Phillies.
Twitter was quick to give Smoltz his props for nailing the prediction.
Here is video of Smoltz’s prediction in real time:
The homer was Harper’s sixth of the postseason. It also marked his 21st hit of the playoffs, the most in a single postseason by any Phillies player ever.
As for Smoltz, he has had some great moments of his own these playoffs. But his perfect prediction of Harper’s jack may have been Smoltz’s best one yet.
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