Bryce Harper had a phenomenal game Wednesday night at a time when his team needed it most. He homered. He doubled. He homered again, this time with the Nationals trailing the Mets late, their season on the brink of collapse.
It was the kind of performance that should have carried the Nationals through a must-win game, but it didn’t. And that’s in part because of one key factor about Harper’s plate appearances during that game: They all came with nobody on base.
Not once did Harper step to the plate with a chance to drive in a run other than his own.