Current:Home > ScamsBirthday boy Bryce Harper powers Phillies to NLCS Game 1 win vs. Diamondbacks -StockPrime
Birthday boy Bryce Harper powers Phillies to NLCS Game 1 win vs. Diamondbacks
View
Date:2025-04-14 22:02:11
PHILADELPHIA — Can we build the statue of Bryce Harper now?
It is too early to retire his number?
Harper, celebrating his 31st year on earth, threw his own raucous birthday party Monday night in front of 45,396 of his closest friends at Citizens Bank Park, igniting a show that reverberated throughout the city.
The Philadelphia Phillies blew out the candles on Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the NLCS, 5-3, with Harper smacking a home run in his first at-bat and added hitting a run-scoring single in the third – with his buddies chipping in two home runs themselves.
The Phillies dominated the game from start to finish, with Kyle Schwarber leading off the game with a 420-foot homer, and two batters later Harper homered on his first pitch, sending Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy that never stopped.
FOLLOW THE MONEY: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team
The Diamondbacks and ace Zac Gallen could only watch, and admire with the Phillies now hitting 12 homers in their last three postseason games, the most by any team in postseason history.
Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos also carved a niche in the record books with his fifth home run in three consecutive postseason games, tying Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.
Meanwhile, Phillies ace Zack Wheeler suffocated the D-backs offense, retiring 15 consecutive batters from Corbin Carroll’s broken-bat single to lead off the game until Evan Longoria’s leadoff single in the sixth inning –followed by Geraldo Perdomo’s home run. He limited the top of the D-backs’ lineup to just one baserunner.
Still, when the smoke cleared, and the Phillies’ crowd celebrated as they headed for the exits, the night belonged to Harper.
It’s October, a month that Harper has dominated, hitting .409 four homers and 21 total bases this postseason.
“I've always wanted to play on my birthday,’’ Harper said before the game. “Last year we had a day off because we clinched early, which was great. A Game 1 win would be awesome. That's what you want any time you're in your own ballpark and doing that.
“I’ve always wanted to do this."
veryGood! (68)
Related
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Biden is in Puerto Rico to see what the island needs to recover
- Sofia Richie Shares Glimpse into Her Bridal Prep Ahead of Elliot Grainge Wedding
- Succession's Dagmara Domińczyk Lost Her Own Father Just Days After Filming Logan's Funeral
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- More money, more carbon?
- See Becky G, Prince Royce, Chiquis and More Stars at the 2023 Latin AMAs
- Alec Baldwin's Criminal Charges Dropped in Rust Shooting Case
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Inside Aaron Carter’s Rocky Journey After Child Star Success
Ranking
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- See Elon Musk Play With His and Grimes’ Son X AE A-XII in Rare Photos
- Freddie Highmore Recalls Being Thrown Into Broom Closet to Avoid Run-In With TV Show Host
- Balloon shoot-down has U.S. on alert. Weather forecasters know how to steer clear
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Bill Hader Confirms Romance With Ali Wong After Months of Speculation
- Hurricane-damaged roofs in Puerto Rico remain a problem. One group is offering a fix
- Julianne Hough Recalls How Relationship With Ex Ryan Seacrest Impacted Her Career
Recommendation
Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
Why hurricanes feel like they're getting more frequent
Animal populations shrank an average of 69% over the last half-century, a report says
Ryan Reynolds Jokes His and Blake Lively's Kids Have a Private Instagram Account
Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
An oil CEO who will head global climate talks this year calls for lowered emissions
'The Great Displacement' looks at communities forever altered by climate change
At least 50 are dead and dozens feared missing as storm hits the Philippines