The Atlanta Braves were officially eliminated from the postseason on Thursday night, dropping Game 4 of the NLDS to the Philadelphia Phillies by a 3-1 margin.
While that game was the official end of the season, they seemed to take themselves out of the series at some point between Games 2 and 3.
That was when it was made known that Braves infielder Orlando Arcia was reported to have been walking around the locker room saying, “Atta boy, Harper!” to mock Phillies superstar Bryce Harper for being doubled off first base to end Game 2 of the series.
That became a rallying cry for the Phillies, and it became a point of frustration for the Braves due to the attention it received.
When Harper homered twice in the Phillies’ Game 3 rout, he stared down Arcia as he circled the bases, clearly very aware of what was said.
The Braves, however, seemed more concerned that Arcia’s comment was made public and spent the next two days pushing back about how their locker room sanctuary was violated.
Travis D’Arnaud looked completely defeated talking about it following the Game 3 loss, and it remained a talking point going into Game 4 on Thursday.
