The Marlins Lost Because They Pitched To Bryce Harper On Accident

The Marlins lost 3-2 to the Nationals last night after surrendering a 2-1 lead in the sixth when Bryce Harper banged an RBI double off the right-field wall. Getting beat by a player as good as Harper isn’t anything to be ashamed of, except when he was never supposed to be given the chance in the first place.

The pitch Harper crushed was a Dan Straily fastball right down the middle:

After the game, Marlins manager Don Mattingly told reporters that Straily was never supposed to throw that pitch. According to Mattingly, the signal that was sent to the mound called for Straily to make a pick-off throw to second, not for him to throw a big damn meatball to Harper. If the pick-off attempt didn’t work, Mattingly planned to intentionally walk Harper.

Straily admitted that there was a miscommunication, telling reporters that he has apparently been unaware of what the pick-off sign is all season ( via l):

“We all missed it. We all missed it. It was a miscommunication,” Straily said. “It was something I realized I thought it was a different sign the entire season, so I’m lucky that the other times I’ve done it I haven’t missed it. “

We all fuck up at work sometimes.

[ Sun Sentinel]