The Washington Nationals missed a golden opportunity to make up ground on the division-leading New York Mets on Monday, and superstar Bryce Harper was not pleased with his team’s apparent lackluster home-field advantage during the 8-5 loss.
Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post passed along Harper’s quote regarding the fans following the defeat: “Well, they left in the seventh, so that was pretty brutal.”
Perhaps the slugger was simply blowing off steam after a critical loss, but it’s hard to argue with the evidence David Lennon of Newsday presented:
Jorge Arangure of Vice Sports used the opportunity to poke fun at the fans leaving and Mets pitcher Matt Harvey (who is embroiled in controversy and discussion about a potential innings-limit cap this season as his team charges toward the playoffs):
Washington now sits five games back of the Mets in the National League East. Had the Nationals won Monday's head-to-head showdown, the deficit would have only been three games, so it was essentially a two-game swing.
The contest took on even more importance because Washington entered on a five-game winning streak and appeared to finally be living up to its elevated preseason expectations with a late playoff push. Alas, there are now only 25 games remaining on the Nationals’ schedule to make up a five-game hole.
Harper’s frustration is understandable given the stakes of the contest and the fact Washington was still within striking distance in the late innings, but the fans are likely disappointed as well with the realization the team is out of the current playoff picture after entering the season with World Series aspirations.
It was also a hot afternoon game under the bright sun of Washington, D.C., and some spectators apparently had enough of the losing and the heat.
Still, Julian Sadur of ABC 47 was in Harper’s corner:
It may not be a great look to verbally attack the home fans, but if anyone on Washington has earned the benefit of the doubt, it is Harper. It’s hard to blame someone sporting a .336 batting average with 34 home runs and 83 RBI for the team’s lackluster play.
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