WASHINGTON — When Bryce Harper, the Washington Nationals outfielder, was ejected from Wednesday’s game against the Yankees after arguing a low strike, there was no celebration in the Yankees’ dugout. No high-fives. No fist pumps.
But behind those stone faces and beneath those pinstripes, the Yankees’ hearts must have been lifted, for Harper’s exit gave them something they had not had moments earlier: a much better chance to win.
Harper, 22, has been one of the best players in Major League Baseball for several years, but he had recently been on a hot streak to rival some of the best hitters who ever played.