After starting his career career going 0-for-22 with seven strikeouts against Matt Harvey, Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper finally got his first base hit against the Mets right-hander.
However, Harper wasn’t gloating about it after the Nationals defeated the Mets in a 9-1 trouncing. Instead, the 2015 National League MVP was surprisingly melancholy after the game and said he felt sorry for Harvey when he saw him booed off the mound by Mets fans after 2.2 excruciating innings. Kevin Ducey of Sports Illustrated had the story.
“I feel bad for him. He comes off the mound and gets booed, and he’s one of the best in baseball,” Harper told Ducey.
Harper has seen Harvey at his best. He’s seen Harvey work hard in the offseason to return to form. He also saw Harvey get booed by his hometown fans, saying it was a sad sight to see.
“For what he did in the playoffs last year? To be able to come back and try to get through the playoffs? He’s one of the first guys to ever come back and go 0 to 200 innings. That’s tough. I think he’s got a great arm, and he’s a lot of fun to watch.”
“Working out with him in the off-season, being around him and stuff, he works his tail off,” Harper continued. “He’s one of the best in baseball and I respect the hell out of him. He’ll come back. It’s just part of the game.”
Truth is no one really knows at this point how to get Harvey back on track. If there was a simple answer, Terry Collins certainly didn’t offer one, and neither did pitching coach Dan Warthen. There are many theories as to what the issue could be, and the prevailing one points to a lack of confidence.
However, as Harper said, we do know that Harvey is “working his tail off.” That should give us all hope that eventually, Harvey will figure it out.
