When the Philadelphia Phillies were 22-29 and Joe Girardi was fired, the idea of reaching the postseason had to be far-fetched.
The idea of advancing to the World Series?
To be blunt ... no way.
Rob Thomson assumed the interim role and got the players to relax. That was evident.
The Phillies started winning and appeared to be in a solid position for a spot in the playoffs.
Bryce Harper was then plunked in San Diego and missed 52 games with a fractured left thumb. Even when Harper returned down the stretch, he struggled, especially with his timing.
Philadelphia won enough games and clinched a playoff spot during the last regular season series on the road against the Houston Astros.
Then they relaxed.
Once the spotlight came on in the playoffs, Harper continued to play at an insanely high level.
The reigning regular season Most Valuable Player won another trophy in the NLCS, hitting a clutch two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 4-3 Phillies win over the San Diego Padres.
From 22-29 to a fractured left thumb to barely getting in the postseason to a berth in the World Series.
Wow.
“Pure chaos, right,” Rhys Hoskins said. “This guy (Harper) has a knack for coming up in the biggest moments. It’s just what he’s done his whole career. And we’ve seen it plenty of times.”
Harper had two hits to extend his postgame hitting streak to 10 straight. It tied a franchise playoff mark originally set by Lenny Dykstra in 1993. The magnitude of the home run in that moment is what sets Harper apart from everyone else in Major League Baseball.
The more pressure-packed the situation, the more Harper wants to be in that moment. And he succeeds. When that home run landed in the seats, Citizens Bank Park was as loud as it has ever been.
There have been plenty of big moments in this ballpark, especially from the 2008 World Series champions.
After Seranthony Domínguez tossed three wild pitches in one inning, Harper quickly erased those miscues.
The $330 million player now appears to be a bargain.
Harper is thriving with the franchise he believes in, going 18-for-41 with five home runs, 11 RBI and 10 runs scored in the playoffs.
“I think we always believed,” Harper said.
No matter who’s contributing on a nightly basis, this Phillies team – led by Harper – appears to be on the verge of something that was hard to fathom in Spring Training.
“This is our group,” Harper said. “This is who we are. I feel like we’re built for October.”
The sixth-seeded Phillies nearly went down 1-0 in the Wild Card round to the St. Louis Cardinals. They found a way to win that contest in the ninth inning and swept the series in two games. Then came a series victory in four games in the NLDS over the Atlanta Braves. Hoskins scuffled defensively but the Phillies were never deterred.
Mistakes don’t rattle this team.
They’re far from a perfect team. But they’re winning.
Four more victories and a parade will be the result. If that happens, you can be sure Harper will be leading the way.
“Harp is amazing and I’ve learned so much from him,” rookie Bryson Stott said. “He’s so calm in the big moments. We’re gonna hop on his back and keep going for the ride.”
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