Bryce Harper flushes defensive misplay to flip wild-card series, help lead Phillies to Game 2 win over Braves: 'I wasn't not trying to hit a homer'
Harper’s mistake certainly didn’t help Philly, but the home run that followed might just be the most important play of this series.
Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss has experienced dramatic, series-changing home runs during his career. In 1988, while playing for the Oakland A's, Kirk Gibson hit a memorable homer to help the Dodgers win the World Series. As Harper stepped to the plate in the eighth inning with the Phillies trailing 3-1, he thought of his young son Krew and the lessons he wanted him to learn from this moment.
After a brief reflection on how to move past the mistake, Harper swung and hit a game-tying home run, 418 feet into the right-center-field bleachers. This crucial play set the stage for the Phillies to win the game 4-3 and advance to the NLDS, while also highlighting Harper's resilience and ability to turn misfortune into success.
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