Philadelphia Phillies fans are voicing frustration at Bryce Harper for not running out a hit in a crucial ninth inning at-bat against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Topper looks disappointed at Bryce Harper for not running this hit into a double
— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) September 10, 2024
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Facing lefty Garrett Cleavinger, Harper hit a bomb to right. Harper, thinking it was a walk-off home run, admired the shot at home plate for a few seconds. However, the ball hit off the top of the wall, and since the All-Star first baseman wasn’t running out of the box, he was held to a single.
Analyst and former Phillies great John Kruk immediately called out Harper on the broadcast.
“You can’t take things for granted. It’s inexcusable,” Kruk said.
It’s not the first time Harper hasn’t run out a hard-hit ball this season. According to WIP’s Spike Eskin, it’s at least the fifth time this season the two-time NL MVP has done this.
Jalen Hurts made mistakes in a game that the Eagles won and has been rightly criticized for doing so. For the 5th time this year Bryce Harper has cost himself a base and potentially a win by admiring a ball he hit rather than running. We should have the same energy for both.
— Spike Eskin (@SpikeEskin) September 10, 2024
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Philadelphia Phillies fans rip Bryce Harper on social media
Harper has also been in a massive home run slump the second-half of the season. He hasn’t put one over the wall since Aug. 9.
Harper settling for a single drew the ire of some fans on social media.
Bryce Harper is one of the best Philadelphia athletes ever, but not hustling is a repeated problem for him and it's not okay.
— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) September 10, 2024
Bryce Harper has to know better here. Inexcusable.
— RB (@RBPhillyTake) September 10, 2024
pic.twitter.com/d67lFHEIJH
Bryce Harper owes Bryson Stott, Buddy Kennedy, and Kody Clemens a steak dinner
— Joe Edinger (@Joe_Edinger) September 10, 2024
Inexcusable for Bryce Harper not to run there
— John Foley (@2008Philz) September 10, 2024
That kind of thing is somehow even worse when you haven’t homered in a month.
— Nathan Ackerman (@NathanAckerman_) September 10, 2024
Haven’t homered in a month Bryce; maybe now’s not the time to make assumptions.
— Justin Klugh (@justin_klugh) September 10, 2024
For his part, Harper did apologize to manager Rob Thomson following the game and owning up to his mistake for not being on second.
“Before I could get to him, he came up to me and apologized,” Thomson told reporters.
Rob Thomson addressed Bryce Harper’s mistake not hustling out of the box in the 9th inning
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) September 10, 2024
“Before I could get to him (Harper), he came up to me and apologized.”
🎥 Colin Newby | @ToNewbyginnings pic.twitter.com/l7Lc7BELyI
“I think it shows the other guys that they need to hustle. He’s accountable and he admits to his mistakes. That’s all you can ask for, really.”
For those wondering if Harper would be benched, he’s back in the lineup tonight and hitting third as the Phillies face the Rays for the second time in their three-game series.
Related: Philadelphia Phillies bench player who grew up as fan has at-bat he’ll never forget