Philadelphia Phillies fans watched in horror Friday afternoon as the new face of the franchise crumbled to the ground in pain after being hit by a pitch in a game against the Blue Jays.
Blue Jays pitcher Trent Thornton hit Bryce Harper’s right foot with a 96-mph pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning. Harper was forced to leave the game, though he did walk under his own power.
Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said after the game that he was “confident Bryce is going to be alright.” Harper is set to have X-rays to assess any damage, according to ESPN. Harper was scheduled to make starts on Saturday and Sunday, but those appearances may now be in jeopardy.
Thornton wished Harper well and said the pitch simply got away from him.
That explanation wasn’t good enough for some Phillies fans, who used Twitter to send Thornton truly vile threats and messages. Here are just a few of the tamest tweets.
Stay classy, folks. Thankfully, a large amount of fans rushed to defend Thornton, who clearly just lost control of a pitch.
