PHILADELPHIA — In the bottom of the first inning, en route to a 7-4 Phillies win on Friday, DH Bryce Harper stepped up to the plate and into a situation that seemed tailor-made for him. The bases were loaded, there were no outs, and the entire ballpark was on its feet. Harper got a standing ovation, but it didn’t end when the at-bat began. The fans stayed standing, living and dying with every pitch.
The ovation was warranted, of course. This was Harper’s first at-bat since June 25, when he was struck on the left hand with a Blake Snell fastball, fracturing his thumb. The Phillies went 32-20 in his absence, and now, two months and one day later, here he was, the reigning 2021 NL MVP, ready and willing to terrorize opposing pitchers all over the league.
Harper saw five pitches, including some that just barely nabbed the strike zone. He feasted on the fifth pitch, a change-up right down the middle of the plate, and ripped a single to right field, scoring Rhys Hoskins and Kyle Schwarber.
