Phillies outfielder Weston Wilson crushed the first pitch he saw from Braves reliever Rafael Montero deep down the left-field line Thursday night, watched the ball fly and circled the bases. Only when he pulled into home plate did Wilson realize there was a slight problem.
The baseball had been foul the entire time.
Third-base umpire Brock Ballou was apparently one of few people at Citizens Bank Park for Thursday’s doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park who noticed right away: Wilson’s 341-foot fly ball had sailed just outside the left-field foul pole. Instead of Wilson’s second home run of the season, it was just strike one.
Nobody told the Phillies. Well, Ballou tried, immediately signaling that the ball was foul, but fans cheered and the team’s home-run sound effect still played over the PA system: “That ball’s outta here!” Wilson needed no further encouragement to round the bases, thinking he’d helped the Phillies break the ice in a game the Braves held an 8-0 lead in the seventh inning.
It wasn’t to be. After appearing surprised when he passed Braves catcher Drake Baldwin back at the plate, Wilson stood back in against Montero to resume his at-bat. He didn’t do half badly, either: Wilson battled his way to an eight-pitch walk. But after thinking you’ve hit a home run -- and making it all the way around the bases -- a walk probably doesn’t feel quite as good.