‘I’m really good’: Bryce Harper has a career-best four extra-base hits as the Phillies flatten the Giants, 13-0
Harper homered in the fourth and had three doubles, ending his extra-base hit drought since returning from the injured list on June 30.
SAN FRANCISCO — Bryce Harper hasn’t had many Bryce Harper moments so far this season.
No walk-offs, no grand slams, and not much showmanship. A lot of that has been because the Phillies first baseman spent nearly a month on the injured list with right wrist inflammation that had been impacting his swing.
But even after he was reinstated on June 30, the power had been conspicuously absent. Harper entered Wednesday’s series finale against the Giants still searching for his first extra-base hit since his injury.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson chalked it up to timing, as Harper hadn’t gone on a rehab assignment. In the first two games in San Francisco, he thought Harper was on the verge of putting it all together.
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“He’s staying balanced. He’s letting the ball travel. Bat speed’s there,” Thomson said.
Harper thought so, too. He felt confident heading into the series opener on Monday. He singled and walked in his first two plate appearances at Oracle Park. But Harper also was on the wrong end of some dubious strike calls by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi, which forced him out of the strike zone to protect the plate.
The next day, he went 0-for-4 in an especially painful — and historic — loss, which ended with an inside-the-park, walk-off home run by Giants catcher Patrick Bailey.
But in Wednesday’s 13-0 win over the Giants, Harper made up for lost time. He hit a homer and three doubles, all to the opposite field, to emphatically prevent the sweep. It marked the first game of Harper’s career with four extra-base hits.
“If I can get ahead in the counts and stay ahead and find ways to do that and not chase pitches out of the zone and all those things, I mean, everything will fall into place,” Harper said. “Sounds super simple, and it should be simple. It’s just doing it and buying in on that.”
For the first time all series, the Phillies combined a strong offensive showing and a strong pitching performance. Starter Jesús Luzardo tossed seven shutout innings for his longest outing since May 25. He held the Giants to three hits, one of which was a bloop single to right field.
In his previous start, Luzardo had struggled with his command out of the stretch and only lasted two innings. On Tuesday in San Francisco, Thomson called Luzardo into his office and asked him his game plan.
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“He did exactly what he told me was going to do,” Thomson said. “Attack the hitters, fill up the strike zone, trust his stuff and just let it happen. That’s what he did.”
Luzardo, who struck out seven and walked one, heads into the All-Star break on a high note after a tumultuous first half.
“I don’t pay mind to it, but we’ve heard a lot about how the Phillies don’t play well here in Oracle Park,” Luzardo said. “I just wanted to go out there, give length, because I know the bullpen got used a lot [Tuesday]. That was a priority for me. And also just try to get a win, trying to salvage at least something of the series.”
Luzardo said the entire team, himself included, feeds off Harper when he’s swinging a hot bat. The Phillies finished 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position. All nine Phillies starters recorded at least one RBI.
Harper’s homer in the fourth inning was the first of his career off Giants starter Justin Verlander. He got to the nine-time All-Star again in the sixth inning with a double, and he wasn’t done there.
The Phillies batted around in the eighth and scored seven runs for their biggest inning of the season. Three of those runs came courtesy of Kyle Schwarber, who hit an opposite-field home run of his own.
Harper had opened the rally with a leadoff double. And when he came back up to the plate, he knocked yet another double to left field, his second of the inning and third of the game. Each of his doubles came off a different Giants pitcher.
And there was the Bryce Harper moment he’d been waiting for.
“I’m really good,” Harper said. “Like, I really am. I don’t want to put that out there and everybody go, ‘What’s he talking about?’ But I know when I’m going well, I’m one of the best in baseball. And I’m healthy, I’m strong, I feel great. It’s just putting myself into the plus counts. I haven’t done that.”
Max Kepler was removed from the game in the eighth inning with a bruised right shin after fouling a ball off his leg. Thomson said that he was in pain and that the team would check him out after Thursday’s off day.