It took a while for things to get started between the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates in the opening game of this Rivalry Weekend series, but it was worth the wait.
After the contest was a low-scoring affair in the early going, the Phillies' offense finally exploded in the late innings to put up eight total runs and come away with an 8-4 victory in Game 1 of this set.
However, it was the first score of the game that was the most notable since it was historic.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Bryce Harper became just the 271st Major League player to ever record 1,000 RBI, an incredible milestone that adds another layer to the Hall of Fame career the slugger has put together.
Take a bow, Showman pic.twitter.com/6zENjFvLlj
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 17, 2025
After the game, Harper was flippant about the accomplishment by saying he has plenty more to get, so perhaps it was fitting that he also recorded his 1,001st RBI in this same contest.
In the bottom of the eighth, after Trea Turner tripled home Johan Rojas from first base in an incredible display of speed on the basepaths, Harper produced an RBI single.
All of a sudden, Philadelphia's superstar seems to be figuring things out at the plate, too.
Entering the week with a disappointing slash line of .237/.354/.428, Harper has now had two multi-hit games since Monday, recording three base knocks against the Pirates in a 3-for-4 effort with a walk and those two notable RBI on Friday.
That's a good sign that things are starting to turn around.
In his last 15 games, Harper has slashed .281/.373/.456 with two homers and nine RBI, a line that has improved to .320/.433/.520 over the last seven contests.
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