Bryce Harper smashes three home runs in first three at-bats
Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper had a tremendous day against the Miami Marlins. The 22-year-old hit a home run in each of his first three at-bats Wednesday. Not bad for a player who was voted the “most overrated” coming into the season.
The first blast came in the bottom of the second inning. Harper took a 92-mph fastball from Tom Koehler out to left field for the solo shot.
His second came the following inning. With Ian Desmond on base, Harper again crushed a fastball from Koehler, this time hammering the ball to the upper deck in right.
He went a step further on his third blast. This time, he belted an 87 mph slider from Koehler even further into the upper deck in right field.
Harper stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh looking for his fourth home run, but could not accomplish the feat. He grounded out to second, driving in his fifth run of the contest. Harper is 3 for 4, with three runs scored and five RBI.
With the performance, Harper became the youngest player since Al Kaline to hit three home runs, and notch five RBI, in a game.
There have been 16 players who have hit four home runs in a single game. The most recent was Josh Hamilton, who accomplished the feat in 2012.
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Harper may not reach that milestone Wednesday, but it’s tough to argue with his performance unless you’re still clinging to the notion that he’s overrated.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
