A Stephen Strasburg pitch hit hitter Jorge Alfaro, catcher Matt Wieters and umpire Hunter Wendelstedt
Hit-by-pitches aren't fun for anybody. For the pitcher, it's a wasted pitch and a free pass to the hitter. For the hitter, well, he's obviously the one who has to actually deal with the baseball striking his body, usually at a velocity that would make any of us watching at home wince in comiseration.
But it's usually only the hitter who has to absorb the blow. It's not usually a three-person experience, but that's what happened in Wednesday's Nats-Phillies game when a Stephen Strasburg pitch hit Jorge Alfaro, redirected into Matt Wieters' facemask and then ricocheted off home-plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt, leaving all three in a state of, "Oh come on, really?"
Ouch. Times three.
Maybe Strasburg is the Pinball Wizard ...