The fishing of Bryce Harper saves Phillies

PHILADELPHIA – Bryce Harper was the only Phillies player not to be hit on Monday, and he even heard another chorus of conspirators from the city's faithful after his third play-off in the fifth inning.
Still, it's Harper who managed to save the game

CRÊME PHILADELPHIA – Bryce Harper He was the Phillies' only positional player not to hit on Monday, and he even heard another booster chorus from his home town following his third outing of the night in the fifth inning.

Still, it's Harper who managed to save the Phillies in the 7-4 win over the Brewers at Citizens Bank Park, using his glove and not his stick.

With loaded bases, two outs, and a four-way draw in the seventh inning, Brewers second baseman Mike Moustakas opened a line on the right court. Harper rushed to the finish line and managed a tempting pass to end the frame – and save two, if not three, in the process.

"I thought," Either they'll score three here, or we'll win this game, "said Harper.

It turned out to be the last case, with the Phillies turning three of the Brewers' bad points into three runs at the end of the round to take the lead three points. The rally actually started with a barred barrage Jean Segura, who reached the target safely after sniffing a three-shot hit that jumped to the back.

After Harper queued and Rhys Hoskins striped – a game that would have ended the round, if Segura had not managed his shot -. J.T. Realmuto tore a double RBI in the center-left field gap. After a walk from Cesar Hernandez, Odúbel Herrera line up a double of two races in center-left left to push the lead to three. According to Statcast, Herrera's capture probability was 65%, but it cleared Hernan Perez's tight glove after the field player took an indirect route to the ball.

Still, it is Harper's fault that made all this possible.

"The shot was sensational," said Phillies manager Gabe Kapler. "Crucial moment in the game. He really won the game for us in so many ways."

For Harper, it also reminded him that it can still affect the outcome, even if it's jostled. Since his five-game Colorado night on April 19, at the height of his career, Harper has only 11-for-73 (.151) with 29 strikeouts in his last 21 games. That included his 0-4 performance, three strikeouts on Monday, which dropped his season average to .222.

It was also Harper's 19th game this season with several strikeouts, three more than any other player.

"These are both sides of the ball," said Harper. "You have to stay focused on both sides of the ball, no matter what your score is or something like that, my pitchers need me and I have to play to the best of my abilities."

Kapler said Harper's offensive slump only made his defensive defense game all the more impressive.

"It's not an easy thing to do, it really is not," said Kapler. "When you have trouble making offensive contributions, you have to remember that you can change a match with your defense – and Bryce was able to do it tonight."

Harper's capture and subsequent rally led the Phillies to a win in a night where starter Aaron Nola lasted only three innings after a 52-minute rain delay. He allowed three runs on five hits and three walks, while needing 84 shots to complete his three innings. Nola has an average of 4.86 on the season. The right-hander, who said it was "pretty much all that" led to his abbreviated outing, has a 4.86 ERA over the season.

"Just some kind of stuff in the zone, out of the box," said Nola. "Field [count] just kept crawling. It was quite embarrassing on my part, but the pen came in and did its part. "

Despite Nola's difficulties on the mound and Harper's misfortunes on the plate, the Phillies won an apparently unlikely victory by going from behind to kick-off a 20-game streak in which all the games excepted three will compete against teams with a winning record now. .

"It was a very good team win against a very good club," said Nola. "Every game is important right now, especially this month, with the teams we have coming."