Philadelphia Phillies: Bryce Harper Owns Nationals in Debut

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper faced off against his old team for the first time last night in Washington DC. With a flair for the dramatic, as you might have expected, Harper got the last laugh.

It all started off when the Washington Nationals opted to push Max Scherzer‘s startup by one day in order for him to face off against the new face of the rival Philadelphia Phillies, Bryce Harper for the first time ever.

In an effort to thwart some boos, Harper thanked Nats fans for the first time since becoming a member of the hated Phils. The effort itself was thwarted by Nats fans, reigning boos on Harper as he stepped into the box for his first at-bat.

Then, after working the count to 2-2 against Scherzer in their first-ever matchup, the 3X Cy Young Award winner got the slugger swinging on an 85 MPH breaking ball. The two would face off again in the 3rd inning. This time, after working a full count… Scherzer punches Harper out again with a 92 MPS slider as the crowd chanted, “Let go, Max!”

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The third time, as they say, is a charm, however. Facing off against Scherzer again in the 5th inning, Scherzer laid a 1-2, 79 MPH breaking-ball in Harper’s wheelhouse. Harper drove it to his old stomping grounds in RF for a double.

From there, Harper would never look back again. In the 6th, Harper stepped up to the plate for the 4th time, this time against RP Matt Grace, and drove a 1-0 single, allowing Jean Segura to score from 2nd. This allowed the Phillies to extend their lead to 5-0.

Finally, in his last at-bat of the night, stepping up against another former teammate, Jeremy Hellickson, with the score in the Phils favor and Jean Segura at 2nd again, Bryce Harper smacked his 3rd homer of the season. A 458-ft mammoth of a shot to the 2nd deck in right-center.

In dramatic fashion, Harper added a finishing touch… a bat-flip for the ages.

The Phillies take on the Nationals again today at 1:05 PM EST. Aaron Nola of the Phils will face off against Anibal Sanchez. Harper is expected to play.