Bottom of the 7th. Runners on first and second and no outs. With Harper coming to the plate during the Phillies’ home opener in 2019, Braves’ manager Brian Snitker decided the better of valor was loading the base and taking his chance pitting Luke Jackson against a young Rhys Hoskins.
The crowd booed as Harper walked to first, denied a chance to hit in his Phillies’ debut. Rhys ambled from the on-deck circle to the plate.
The 26-year-old watched a ball, stepped out of the box, stepped back in, choked up his bat, and stared at the ball in Jackson’s hand.