Bryce Harper is the $330 million man as Phillies avoid a San Francisco sweep | Bob Brookover

It was a beautiful South Philly spring afternoon when the Phillies started their getaway-day game against Gabe Kapler’s Giants on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park.

But then at precisely 1:46 p.m., with the Phillies leading 3-0 on the strength of rookie Mickey Moniak’s first major league home run, the sky darkened and jagged bolts of lightning outlined the Center City skyline.

Heavy winds whipped through the ballpark, creating a thunderous sound from the flapping flags out in Ashburn Alley. Finally, umpire crew chief C.B. Bucknor waved the players off the field after Zach Eflin had thrown just one pitch in the top of the third inning.

» READ MORE: Bryce Harper hits tying homer, scores winning run in Phillies’ 6-5 win over Gabe Kapler’s Giants

By the time play resumed following a 44-minute delay, the beautiful spring day in South Philly felt more like a San Francisco summer evening, meaning warm blankets were preferred if not required to remain warm in the seats.

“I was grateful [the weather] came in when it did because maybe my ball doesn’t get out with that wind coming in,” Moniak said. “There was a time when we were hitting when you could hear the flags in left-center field just ringing and you could see that big wall of gray coming in. We knew before the game that it could get a little nasty and something could roll in.”

The Phillies were searching for some winds of change when they arrived for their series finale with the Giants.

“We were just trying not to get swept,” catcher Andrew Knapp said after coming through with a walk-off single that gave the Phillies a 6-5 win over the Giants ahead of their seven-game road trip to Colorado and St. Louis. “We kind of handed them one [Tuesday night], and I think we all know that. To come back and take this one is huge.”

Not to mention necessary. Yes, it’s still early. And, yes, no team in the supposedly rugged NL East has sprinted to a particularly impressive start. But a 2-4 homestand after a 1-5 road trip was going to cause a lot of uneasiness, especially since Tuesday night’s fall-from-ahead loss to the Giants included a bullpen implosion. A lot of people around here are still shell-shocked from the historically awful relief work that was witnessed in these parts a season ago.

The COVID-restricted crowds remain small at Citizens Bank Park, but their displeasure with the ballclub was palpable when the Phillies failed to score in Monday night’s loss to the Giants, then blew a 4-0 lead Tuesday.

That disdain resurfaced in the top of the seventh inning Wednesday. After Eflin departed from his latest outstanding start with a 4-1 lead, Brandon Kintzler gave up a leadoff double to Wilmer Flores and an infield single to Brandon Crawford before striking out Mauricio Dubon. Former Phillie Darin Ruf then slugged an 0-2 sinker from Kintzler over the center-field wall for a game-tying home run and the boos rained down on Kintzler as he left the mound.

Before the inning was over, the Giants scored the go-ahead run after Andrew McCutchen dropped a ball in left field and Alex Dickerson lined an RBI single to center field off JoJo Romero.

Dark moods had replaced dark skies.

» READ MORE: Connor Brogdon roughed up as Phillies lose, 10-7

The Phillies, however, had one thing going for them. Bryce Harper was going to get to bat in the bottom of the seventh. After McCutchen and Rhys Hoskins were retired to start the inning, the $330 million man grabbed his cape and his bat and crushed his fourth home run of the season into the seats in right-center field.

Rookie Spencer Howard and veteran Hector Neris restored bullpen order by retiring all seven batters they faced. Howard struck out the side in the eighth and Neris dominated with his splitter while striking out a couple of batters in the ninth.

Bat in hand and cape on his back again, Harper led off the ninth inning for the Phillies. San Francisco reliever Wandy Peralta wanted no parts of the $330 million man and Harper happily accepted a five-pitch walk, the fifth of his amazing homestand. He also went 11-for-17 with two doubles and two home runs, raising his batting average from .231 to .357, his on-base percentage from .388 to .493 and his OPS from .798 to 1.118.

“Bryce is our leader,” Moniak said. “Today, after losing that lead, it was tough. But having a guy like that come up and hit that big home run and come in the dugout and fire us up, it gave us a sense of encouragement.”

Brad Miller kept the line moving with a single to left field. It was his fourth hit of the game. Eflin was watching from the clubhouse as Knapp, his designated batterymate, stepped to the plate.

“I love when Knappy does good things,” Eflin said. “We knew if he came up with a runner in scoring position, it was going to be game over because he expresses confidence in those situations. He’s cool, calm and collected.”

Sure enough, Knapp lined a first-pitch slider into left field and Harper scored from second base by touching home plate with his sliding mitt.

A disastrous homestand was averted.