This is what superheroes do. They come to the rescue.
Bryce Harper came to the rescue.
The best hitter on the planet right now launched a two-run, go-ahead homer in the bottom of the eighth inning that gave the Phillies a 4-3 lead over the Padres and left them three outs from their first World Series berth in 13 years.
Thirty minutes later, they’d won the National League pennant and punched a ticket for a Friday night matchup against either the Astros or the Yankees. Either Phillies opponent will be favored. The Phils sneaked in with the No. 6 seed, the third wild card in the first year of such an animal. Cool.
Just don’t count the Phillies out. They’ve got the Yoda of Pattison Avenue managing them — Zen-like Rob Thomson, or “Topper,” used his No. 3 starter to close out the series — and they’ve got Harper on their side.
Harper has been channeling David Ortiz, circa 2004, all month, but he hasn’t been in many situations to come to the rescue. At least, not many. His teammates have done that; most recently, Rhys Hoskins and Jean Segura.
But Sunday, in a game that could clinch the NLCS, Harper found himself in just such a position.
Eighth inning. Down a run. Man on first. Team collapsing around him.
As Harper settled in, the ballpark’s speakers blared Nelly’s “Ride Wit’ Me,” whose chorus repeats, “Must be the money!” Harper’s $330 million contract broke North American sports records when he signed it in 2019, and remains the richest in Phillies history. John Middleton splurged then to get him, then supported him with a $250 million roster that exceeded the luxury tax for the first time in franchise history.
The tax has been well worth it.
Harper’s been a bargain.
But then, how much is a superhero worth? Because the Phillies dearly needed a superhero Sunday afternoon.
The Phillies’ leadoff batter had reached base four times in the first seven innings. He’d never scored.
Hoskins grounded into a double play in the first inning. Nick Castellanos grounded into a double play in the second. Castellanos walked but never moved in the fourth. Bryson Stott doubled in the seventh, and after Kyle Schwarber was intentionally walked with two out, Hoskins flied out to right field.
Absolve Hoskins. He’d made it 2-0 with his fourth homer in four games, a two-run blast in the third off Yu Darvish that gave Zack Wheeler the lead.
Wheeler lasted six innings, plus one hitter, and then things fell apart.
Seranthony Domínguez replaced Wheeler with a man on first and none out in the seventh, and the misty rain that had fallen most of the game really started coming down.
With the rain falling harder and the wind blowing a steady 10 mph with 25-mph gusts, Domínguez uncorked four uncatchable pitches in the inning and the Padres scored two runs.
The first sent a runner from first to second, where he scored easily on a hard-hit double. The second hurt nothing, but the third sent a runner from second to third. The fourth scored that runner. Padres led, 3-2, as they stretched for the seventh.
These weren’t just wild pitches. These were Abby Calvin “Nuke” Nuke LaLoosh, Bull Durham, hit-the-mascot wild pitches.
It looked like a trip back to San Diego was imminent — a trip that Padres scheduled Game 6 starter Blake Snell said the Phillies didn’t want to make.
Maybe Snell was right.
David Robertson got the first out of the ninth, walked the next two Padres, then surrendered the mound to No. 3 starter and former reliever Ranger Suárez, a lefthander. Suárez got one out on a sacrifice bunt, then Austin Nola, big brother of Phillies No. 2 starter Aaron Nola, swung at the first pitch. He flied out softly to right, where Castellanos was playing.
It’s where Harper would normally have been had he not torn an elbow ligament early in the season.
He’s not invincible.
Just a superhero.
