There is perhaps no player in baseball who can wow a stadium full of fans, teammates, opponents and others just by swinging his bat more than Bryce Harper. But what the Nationals’ 22-year-old slugger did Thursday night by never taking that bat off his shoulder actually produced a more awe-inspiring reaction.
The Nationals shellacked the Braves, 15-1, pounding out 18 hits in the most-lopsided victory in club history. Yet Harper contributed none of those hits. Instead, he drew four walks in four plate appearances, scoring four runs. Which proved to be one of the strangest, yet greatest, offensive performances in baseball history.