Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper made some history against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, and he did so without ever taking the bat off his shoulder.
In the game, Harper saw 20 pitches in four plate appearances. He didn’t swing at a single one. And yet, he scored four times. Not only that, but he also drove in a run.
According to Jacob Emert of MLB.com, Harper became the first player in modern history to walk four times, score four runs and drive in a run without having a hit or an at-bat in a game.
As ESPN noted, the four runs are the most runs that any player has scored in the Live Ball era without recording an official at-bat in a game:
The 20 pitches that Harper saw without swinging ranks second by any batter in the last decade, per ESPN Stats & Info:
Crazily, this was the second time this season that the 22-year-old outfielder scored four runs without recording a hit. Back on Aug. 18 against the Colorado Rockies, Harper went 0-for-2 with four walks and four runs. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the two hitless, four-run games in a season is something that hasn’t been done in 55 years:
He also became the first player in Nationals history to record two four-walk games in a season:
Harper (104) currently ranks behind only Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (116) for the most walks in all of baseball.
Harper was lifted from the game in the sixth inning on Thursday, as the Nationals would cruise to a 15-1 victory.
[MLB.com, Twitter]
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