And so, Bryce Harper was called out on a check swing to end the game by third base umpire Marvin Hudson, and just like that the Nats drop 2 of 3 to the Braves. Meanwhile, there's nothing like an umpire sticking himself right into the mix when you have a match-up like Harper-Kimbrell with a game on the line in the 9th. Here's Harper on Hudson's call:

"I think in that situation you can't really call that, especially when the home plate umpire says no about three times and doesn't want to check. And they obviously check and they bang me. That's one less pitch I get to see against him, possibly a 2-2 fastball. Kimbrel is a great closer. I think trying to see as many pitches as you can against him is huge and the deeper I get in the count it makes me stronger."



On what he said to Hudson:



"I just told him how good he was and how good he looked." (Bryce Harper, via MASNSports.com, 8/18/2013)

More screencaps of the check swing and the aftermath, via MASN/TV: