It's no secret that the Philadelphia Phillies fanbase is in a bit of a shambles at the moment. A torrid start to the 2024 season had Phillies fans dreaming of another deep playoff run, but since that 41-18 start, Philadelphia has played mediocre baseball — with some even panicking to the point of fear that they're going to end up relinquishing the division lead entirely. But on Monday night, fittingly, in a rematch against 2022 World Series foe Houston Astros, the Phillies got their fans believing again, with Bryce Harper hitting a walk-off single to give them a 3-2 win in extras.
There is nothing the crowd at Citizens Bank Park loves more than when Harper delivers at the most opportune moments. The Phillies first baseman wasted no time, hitting a first-pitch sinker out to right field to drive home Kyle Schwarber. And in so doing, Harper received a nod of approval from another current Philadelphia sporting icon, 76ers big man Joel Embiid, who was in attendance on Tuesday night.
Joel Embiid was loving Bryce Harper’s walk-off base hit for the Phillies W 🔥🤳
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 27, 2024
(via @Phillies)
pic.twitter.com/KzLi9zvm9B
Joel Embiid was loving Bryce Harper’s walk-off base hit for the Phillies W 🔥🤳 (via @Phillies)
Joel Embiid seemed to know that Bryce Harper, for seemingly the entirety of his stint with the Phillies, has shown that he is capable of stepping up to the plate and delivering when it matters the most. The 76ers star had his phone camera ready, and his nod of approval showed that his decision to capture the moment and immortalize it was validated.
After starting off August on a less-than-ideal note, the Phillies have now managed to rattle off three wins in a row. Every win is crucial in making sure that they keep the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets at bay. Moreover, this walk-off hit should do wonders for Harper's confidence at the plate amid a rough stretch that has some fans calling him out on social media.
The Phillies have two more games remaining in their home series against the Astros before they enter an ever so crucial four-game set against the Braves, which, thankfully for them, will be held at Citizens Bank Park as well.
Bryce Harper delivers for the Phillies yet again
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Bryce Harper hasn't had the most productive August for the Phillies. Entering their Tuesday clash against the Astros, Harper had an OPS of .770 in the calendar month. That is not exactly a bad mark; that remains an above-average mark if extrapolated over the course of an entire season. But that falls way short of Harper's usual standards — he usually hovers around the high .800s or the low .900s, and the drop-off has been apparent.
Of course, there are ebbs and flows in a season, and Harper, on the year, is still slashing .274/.363/.521 — star-player level numbers. But amid a slump from Trea Turner (.591 OPS on the month) as well as some substandard production from Bryston Stott and Brandon Marsh, the Phillies have needed more from Harper this month to avoid being a consistently middling team, which they have been for the month of August (10-11 record entering Tuesday).
Nevertheless, Harper has earned the benefit of the doubt after stepping up for the Phillies over the past two postseason runs. In 2022, Harper went on a postseason-long heater, tallying an OPS of 1.160 throughout their incredible run to the World Series. And then in 2023, despite falling short in the NLCS, his OPS was still as elite as it can get at 1.098. Perhaps he is simply heating up at the right time.
