PHILADELPHIA — With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Bryce Harper stepped up to the plate. It was a pivotal moment in the Phillies’ eventual 9-7 win: the bases were loaded, the Phillies were down 6-2, and Harper had a chance to tie it up.
This is not a team that has excelled with runners in scoring position this season. But as Harper battled his way through an at-bat with Angels reliever Raisel Iglesias, a grand slam felt like an inevitability. And on the seventh pitch, a changeup right in the middle of the plate, Harper delivered, crushing a ball 426 feet to the second deck of the right field stands for his 13th moonshot of the season.
Harper threw his fist in the air. As he skipped to first base, he let out a yell and motioned towards his teammates in the dugout. On his way second base, he threw his fist in the air again. It almost seemed to be a cathartic moment; for weeks, the Phillies have hit balls that seemed like sure-home runs that have fallen just short. They’ve lost extra-inning games. They’ve been able to start rallies, but have had trouble completing them.
