The start of Main League Baseball’s Rivalry Weekend sequence between the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates was additionally an ending of types. Earlier than the season, NBC Sports activities Philadelphia introduced it was altering the Phillies’ emblem on its scorebug from the letter “P” to “PHI.”
Usually, that may not be a narrative worthy of headlines. However by doing so, the published disadvantaged followers of a easy pleasure in life: seeing a “P00P” scoreboard each time the Phillies confronted off in opposition to the Pirates.
On Friday evening, the community determined to pay tribute to that “gone however by no means forgotten” scorebug.
“It was greater than only a scoreboard. It was a legend,” Phillies announcer Tom McCarthy solemnly learn. “An unforgettable icon. Its identify, as soon as met with chuckles, rapidly turned synonymous with good instances and fierce rivalries. As the ultimate out arrives on its vivid and good run, will probably be missed.”
It was a pleasant, but absurd, begin to a sport that adopted an analogous theme.
Bryce Harper reached 1,000 RBIs and was a part of a wild seventh-inning rally through which the Phillies scored 4 runs on only one hit in an 8-4 victory.
Harper, who had three hits and reached base 4 instances, picked up his milestone RBI with a bloop single to left discipline off Pirates starter Andrew Heaney. Harper is one in every of eight lively gamers with 1,000 RBIs.
The Phillies scored 4 runs within the seventh inning when six consecutive batters — together with Harper — reached base in opposition to three relievers. Just one — Trea Turner — had successful. The others all reached base through a stroll or successful by pitch, and three of the 4 runs scored and not using a ball being put in play.
Philadelphia tacked on three extra runs within the eighth inning. Turner had an RBI triple, and Harper added No. 1,001 with a single.
Pirates interim supervisor Don Kelly was ejected from the sport by third base umpire John Libka after arguing Libka’s name of no swing on Harper that resulted in a stroll to load the bases.
Presumably, Kelly thought the decision was, properly, let’s simply say harking back to the Phillies’ outdated scorebug.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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