Harper hurt after fake tag, benches clear in Nats’ win
The tag clearly was fake. What happened next was all too real for the National League East champion Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper got hurt and needs X-rays.
The Las Vegas native injured his left thumb making an awkward slide to avoid a pretend tag by Pittsburgh third baseman Jung Ho Kang, and the teams later cleared the benches Sunday in Washington’s 10-7 win at PNC Park.
Nationals manager Dusty Baker said Harper was “sore” and would have X-rays Monday. The reigning NOTES NL MVP had surgery to repair a torn ligament in the same thumb in 2014.
Harper led off the third inning with a triple. As he neared third, Kang acted as if a throw was coming and feigned a tag.
Harper went down, was checked by a trainer and stayed in. He scored on Anthony Rendon’s double and was replaced in the field in the bottom half by Chris Heisey.
Kang insisted he merely intended to keep Harper from scoring when right fielder Josh Bell’s throw was way off line.
“I meant no harm,” Kang said through a translator. “During the relay play, I tried to hold the runner on third base. That’s all I tried to do.”
The next time Kang came up, Nationals starter A.J. Cole threw a fastball behind him and immediately was ejected by plate umpire Jordan Baker as the benches emptied.
Cole said he was trying to pitch inside to Kang. Baker said the entire situation wasn’t ideal for a team that is focusing on a playoff run.
■ TIGERS — Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (9-6, 4.94 ERA), who has been dropped from Detroit’s rotation as he struggles to come back from neck problems, pitched Sunday for the first time since Sept. 10.
He pitched the last three innings of the Tigers’ 12-9 loss to Kansas City, allowing one run and four hits while striking out four.
■ ORIOLES — Rookie outfielder Joey Rickard might not need surgery for his injured thumb, but the team will have a “definitive plan” to make sure he is ready for spring training, manager Buck Showalter said.
Rickard, 25, a Bishop Gorman product, batted .268 with five home runs and 19 RBIs in 85 games this season.