First call: Penguins get no help; Bryce Harper's dramatic return to Washington

Our “First Call” for Wednesday starts with a look at how the Penguins playoff picture was impacted by Eastern Conference results last night. Pitchers make an argument against the DH. The Bryce Harper return to Washington was great theater. And whatever happened to Zion Williamson’s exploding shoe?

Not done yet

The Penguins needed either a win or a Montreal regulation loss to clinch a playoff spot Tuesday.

They got neither.

The Penguins lost 4-1 to the Red Wings. And the Canadiens beat the NHL’s best team to stay alive.

Le GROS but de Artturi.

Artturi's BIG goal. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/zpC3XHUrys

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 3, 2019

That double-mid-air-swat goal from Artturi Lehkonen was part of a 4-2 victory for the Canadiens over Tampa.

So Montreal remains in ninth place with 94 points and two games left. That’s three fewer than the Penguins, who have 97, with two more games to play.

The Canadiens visit Washington Thursday and host Toronto Saturday. The Penguins welcome Detroit on Thursday and the Rangers on Saturday.

A little help in Boston

Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets have 94 points, as well. They are clinging to the last wild-card spot in the East.

Their hot streak came to an end Tuesday. After winning five in a row, Columbus lost at home to the Bruins, 6-2.

Yeah, @Bmarch63 scored tonight, too.#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/C4q8acrGoL

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 3, 2019

That was Brad Marchand’s 36th goal and 99th point of the season. He added an assist later to get to 100. The Blue Jackets visit the Rangers on Friday and the Senators on Saturday.

Quite a return

Now this was a scene.

Philadelphia fans traveled to another team’s stadium to cheer one of their guys, while everyone else in that building booed.

Seems like a role-reversal, right?

Well, that’s what happened when former Nationals MVP Bryce Harper returned to Washington as a Phillie for the first time Tuesday. Take a listen to the reaction during Harper’s first at-bat as Max Scherzer struck out Harper.

Round 1 goes to Scherzer. ? pic.twitter.com/hUmzjJywFj

— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) April 2, 2019

Max Scherzer strikes out Bryce Harper in his first AB with #Phillies at #Nats Park & the @Nationals fans go wild! pic.twitter.com/YuExuF5R3u

— Chris Russell (@Russellmania621) April 2, 2019

Harper struck out again later in the game. But he had the last laugh, eventually, going 3 for 5 and hitting this moonshot of a homer off Jeremy Hellickson.

Not the first Bryce Harper Home Run in Nationals Park, but definitely the first as a member of the opposing team. pic.twitter.com/XsTKpMzAuh

— OnlyHomers (@OnlyHomers) April 3, 2019

That went 458 feet and the Phillies won 8-2. Harper has three home runs already this season.

'Ban the DH!'

Here’s one for the Pirates broadcast crew, which hates the idea of the designated hitter potentially coming to the National League.

Yesterday, Arizona pitcher Zack Greinke hammered two homers and struck out 10 in the same game.

Zack Greinke has blasted 2 HRs and struck out 10.

The last pitcher to accomplish this feat was Madison Bumgarner on 4/2/17. The opposing pitcher in that game? Zack Greinke. pic.twitter.com/CIZeeVrvue

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) April 3, 2019

And you may have noticed that in that MLB Stats tweet, the last pitcher to accomplish that feat was Madison Bumgarner in 2017. And Greinke was the opposing pitcher.

Speaking of Bumgarner, hey … what’s this?

Madison Bumgarner followed Greinke's lead and CRUSHED a home run of his own. pic.twitter.com/H6Tt3HARjo

— Pitcher List (@PitcherList) April 3, 2019

Unfortunately for Bumgarner and the Giants, they lost 6-5 in Los Angeles despite his home run. Meanwhile, Greinke and the Diamondbacks won 8-5 in San Diego.

Who steals a shoe? Honestly?

Remember the shoe blown out by Duke’s Zion Williamson earlier this year?

Well, that shoe has gone missing. No one knows where it is.

And according to Goldin Auctions, via TMZ, it could be worth up to $250,000.

TMZ contacted Nike, and the company said they worked with Duke to inspect what went wrong after the incident. But it doesn’t know where the shoe is now.

So, if anyone went dumpster diving , you may want to get to your local auction house.