July 4, 2012
And the Crowd Turns
From the moment that Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton hit the 1-2 count slider from Huston Street that floated above first base he was showered with boos from the sell-out crowd at Chase Field. It was not that single play that had made Upton the target of the Phoenix fans. There disdain began earlier this season and was now reaching fever pitch with an 0-5 performance and a missed ball in the outfield that became a home run.
The most interesting part was the catch or lack of a catch in the negative view of the fans. Upton didn’t throw the pitch that Yasmani Grandal hit to deep right center. That accomplishment was saved for the night’s other “villain” reliever David Hernandez who game up 2 runs in a single inning of work. He too was greeted by boos as he made his way off the mound in the eighth inning.
