Phils' Harper halts career-high homerless drought
PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper ended the longest homerless streak of his major league career in the second game, and the Philadelphia Phillies swept a doubleheader from the San Diego Padres 6-4 and 9-4 on Saturday.
Harper connected on a curveball from left-hander Ryan Weathers (1-6), tying the score 1-1 in the fourth inning.
“That’s what he does,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “Everybody was excited.”
The ball was caught barehanded in the Philadelphia bullpen in center field by closer Craig Kimbrel.
Needing a healthy Kimbrel, Harper lightheartedly told his closer not to make a bare-handed grab again.
“That was stupid,” Harper said, causing laughs among reporters. “I already talked to him. It was terrible. You can’t do that. I mean, nice catch but come on man.”
It was the fourth homer of the season for Harper, who made his 2023 debut May 2 after recovering from Tommy John surgery. The home run was Harper’s first since May 25 at Atlanta against Dylan Dodd. He had gone 166 plate appearances without going deep.
Before this 38-game streak, Harper’s previous longest homerless stretch was 25 games last season. It was just his fourth homerless drought of at least 20 games of his career.
“Everyone keeps talking about it, but it is what it is,” Harper said of the drought. “For me personally, keep hitting the baseball. Keep hitting it hard. I don’t go out there to hit homers. I don’t really try to hit homers. If you try to hit homers, it’s just not good.
“Put a really good swing on the ball tonight, and it was able to get out of there. Keep swinging and keep doing my thing.”
Harper has been limited to batting this season. Thomson said before Friday’s game that Harper could be back in the field for the first time since April 2022, playing first base instead of his customary outfield position, but then said afterward that Harper would not play first against San Diego.
Harper, 30, is in the fifth season of a $330 million, 13-year contract.
The Associated Press and ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this story.
