Watch: Philadelphia Phillies Superstar Single-Handedly Beat Reds
If there were any questions about Bryce Harper's bat after a slow start there were no questions after what he did for the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.
Bryce Harper broke out of his slump in a big way for the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.
Harper started the season 0-for-11 at the plate and even got a day off on Sunday. Well, in the second game of the Phillies’ series against the Cincinnati Reds, he put that slump behind.
He hit three home runs for the Phillies, setting off a Citizens Bank Field crowd that braved the weather to attend the game.
And, like a good drama, Harper built up as the game went on.
He hammered a solo shot in the first inning deep into left-center field off Reds starter Graham Ashcraft. The two-out shot gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead.
Phillies fans didn’t have to wait long for Harper to hit his second of the season.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the fourth inning Harper hit another solo home run off Ashcraft. This time the left-hander pulled one into the right-field seats to push the Phillies to a 2-1 lead.
It wasn’t just his second home run of the game. When he crossed the plate he scored the 1000th run of his career.
His third hit like a crescendo. With the Phillies up 4-1 and the bases loaded, Harper faced Reds reliever Brent Suter. With one out and a full count, Harper pulled a 3-2 pitch from Suter into the seats behind the right-center field gap.
With that home run, the Phillies took an 8-1 lead.
By the end of the eighth inning Harper was 3-for-4 with three runs and six RBI. It boosted his season average to .200 but his OPS swelled to 1.094.
The Phillies needed Harper to have a night like that. He has two National League Most Valuable Player awards, an NL Rookie of the Year award, the MVP of the NL Championship Series, seven All-Star Game selections and three Silver Sluggers, including in 2023.
The Phillies needed him to start slugging like it. On Tuesday, he looked more like the Harper that bounced back from ACL surgery and rehab to play in 126 games, slash .293/.401/.499/.900 with 21 home runs and 72 RBI.
