The untuck thing is a celebration that is a lot like Soriano. It's understated, easy to miss. It's also effective. And cool. Most important, for all its simplicity, it's fun. Sports are supposed to be fun, remember?
Harper's second unsuccessful encounter this month with the physics of smacking into an outfield wall led to him doubling down on the hair-on-fire approach. He told reporters "I'm trying to kill myself out there" and, really, that's what the collision looked like.
As blood dripped down his neck and head trainer Lee Kuntz examined him Monday night, Harper tried to convince manager Davey Johnson that he could stay in the game. That wasn't happening.
Bryce Harper arrived at Dodger Stadium a little bit smarter Tuesday.
The moment Gio Gonzalez walked off the mound in the seventh inning Sunday afternoon, he figured his day was probably done. So it was that Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson pulled his left-hander in the hope of adding some offense, and watched the game devolve into a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs over the final two innings.
The Nationals' victory over the Tigers on Thursday was their sixth in the past seven games as they improved to 19-15.
With Jayson Werth dealing with right hamstring tightness for the last week, Harper has shifted from left to right field twice, and was in the lineup there on Wednesday night.
The good news for the Washington Nationals as they trickled into the clubhouse on Tuesday afternoon, was that Jayson Werth was able to test his right hamstring on Monday and felt strong.
The Nationals' slow offensive start has been concerning to some, worrisome to others and downright nerve-fraying to certain factions of the fanbase. For plenty, it's been maddening to watch them strike out, swinging or looking, so often. To see them come up small in large situations. To hit the ball on the screws, and right at a waiting fielder.
