Bottom of the ninth, Phillies down by one against the Yankees. One out. Kyle Schwarber on first. Bryce Harper at the plate. A sellout crowd of 44,543 on the edge of their seats at Citizens Bank Park. A double probably ties the score. A home run wins it.
These are the situations Bryce Harper lives for. These are the situations the two-time MVP has come through in so many times before.
On Wednesday, though, he swung at the first pitch against Yankees closer Clay Holmes and grounded into a game-ending double play. New York 6, Philadelphia 5.
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The Phillies have dropped 11 of their last 15.
Harper has one hit in his last 30 at bats. And it’s not just that. He struck out with a runner in scoring position in the fourth. Tuesday night, with the score tied, two outs and bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, he grounded out.
“It’s certainly frustrating for him, because he does want to perform and help the team win,” manager Rob Thomson said. “That’s what he’s all about. But he’s just got to keep batting through it. You know he’s going to come out of it at some point.”
Is there are word beyond frustrating? Exasperating, maybe. Gut-wrenching, even?
Philadelphia Phillies
“It is what it is. I just have to try to battle out of it as best I can,” Harper said postgame. “I thought my at bats were better. So that’s good. Just got to find a way.
“I’m excited to turn the page to August. I’m sure a couple other guys are as well. We’ve got to just keep plugging along. It’s a long season. We’ve got to just keep playing our game. Just try to keep going. That’s all you can do. Going through stretches like this is part of the game. It’s part of growing as a player. Just got to keep on keeping on.”
After getting off to one of the best starts in franchise history, back when they were on a pace to win 105, 110 even 115 games, it would have been hard to imagine the Phillies falling so hard, so fast.
“You don’t want to play the game this way,” he said. “You don’t want to play from behind or not win series. Baseball is all about winning series and being hot at the right time and doing things the right way.
“I could say we haven’t been playing good baseball on both sides of the ball. Pretty sloppy as a team. We’ve got to turn the page. We’ve got to cowboy up and play the right way. We’re a damn good team. It’s not that hard. It’s baseball. It’s how the game works. We’ve got really good players in here.”
THE NEWEST GUY: Lefthanded reliever Tanner Banks, acquired from the White Sox on Tuesday, made his Phillies debut in the eighth inning and retired the side in order on seven pitches.
“He’s kind of a Swiss army knife,” Rob Thomson said. He can do a lot of things. He’s gone 2-plus innings this year. His strikeout rate against lefties is really good. Doesn’t walk people. He’s throwing harder now than he ever has in his career. Ninety-five. It’s good stuff.”
NOTABLE: Shortstop Trea Turner did not start. Neither did second baseman Bryson Stott, catcher J.T. Realmuto and centerfielder Brandon Marsh, although all three eventually got into the game. Turner did not, even as a pinch-runner after Kyle Schwarber led off the bottom of the ninth with. Rob Thomson’s explanation was that he was saving Turner in case he needed him to pinch hit …
Starter Cristopher Sanchez was charged with six earned runs. That raised the rotation’s composite earned run average to 3.31, the highest it’s been since the first week of the season.
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