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Bryce Harper kept his cool and avoided being ejected despite quarrels with referee Laz Diaz over his strike zone in the Atlanta Nationals defeat. (AP Photo / John Bazemore)
[Max Scherzer struggles, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Juan Soto rake, and Braves hold off Nats]
When Harper left the field between the innings, Diaz went up the third baseline towards him and started screaming at him. Harper lowered his head and entered the shelter, ignoring Diaz's cries. Referees do not usually chase players like that, and manager Dave Martinez felt it was out of place. But the problem did not stop there.
At the next meeting of Harper, who scored points in the seventh-highest scoring, Diaz called an elite game a shot that Harper thought was outside. Replays showed that Harper was right. The pitch was as serious as a missed call that can be found in the big leagues, well outside the area (see pitch # 4 below).
Laz Diaz called the No. 4 strike, which put Bryce Harper and his manager out of action.
Harper, already somewhat irritated by his previous exchanges with Diaz, expressed his dissatisfaction. According to Harper and Martinez, Diaz continued to talk to Harper even after he started returning to the batter's box, just as Martinez rushed to defend his player.
"We were in a crucial moment of the game and he said things to Harp and I thought it was useless," Martinez said. "I know him since a long time. I rushed over there thinking I was going to be thrown, but I said you know, what I am not – it's a great moment of the game. But I told Laz that the return let him hit.
[[[[Jeremy Hellickson will start Saturday. What happens next is unclear.]
In the end, Harper put himself in a position to stop and go home, the last that the Nationals would score on Friday night. Diaz held a long leash, letting Harper share his thoughts without sending him out of the game. Harper refused to say exactly what Diaz had told him, although he said the Braves receiver, Tyler Flowers, had heard everything.
"If I heard it, Flowers knows what he said," Harper said. "I will not go because there is no reason to do it. But if it must be his hitting area, then I have to be ready to fight and have that hitting zone next time.
Martinez said Diaz had calmed down after the showdown, although Harper and Martinez were happy to avoid being ejected, both men were excited about the incident after the match.
"Referees are supposed to be non-confrontational – they are supposed to keep the peace on the baseball field," Martinez said. "For me, I think MLB has to watch that."
Harper said he was trying to avoid being thrown out of play this season, that he had made it a priority, an interesting change of attitude for the fiery superstar. In the past, Harper had not hesitated to talk about ejections, even when these were great moments when the team could use its services. Now, he said, he tries to walk to the edge of the ejection behavior, then to calm down in time to stay in the game.
"There is no reason to [get ejected]Said Harper. "At the end of the day, if I'm at 0 for 4 or 4 for 4, that's only part of the game. I'd rather be 0 for 4 or 4 for 4 and not be ruled out. of the game where I only have 0 for 2 and we lose the game in the eighth or ninth. So you have to stay in the ball game of course and help this team to win each night.
Martinez, who has known Diaz since his minor league days, said he's decided against a worthy tirade to throw too. But while he was trying to avoid saying a lot later, he could not help it.
"He called a pitch that was pretty ridiculous," said Martinez. "So I hope MLB will look at it and decide what to do."
Learn more about nationals:
National reliever Sammy Solis knows he's preparing for his future
Juan Soto was the best hitter of teenagers of all time and it does not look like a stroke of luck
Ryan Zimmerman has always been a Nat. But will he still be a Nat?
The Nationals approach to all these rain delays? "All that will keep you healthy minded"
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