Bryce Harper: "I've never seen a ball go up in that section of Petco Park. Just wow."
Bryce Harper is back in all his glory. After Harper suffered a devastating midseason injury, the Philadelphia Phillies' season looked doomed. The two-time National League MVP has been a pillar of the Phillies team over the last few seasons. He is their leader on and off the field.
The Phillies continue to surprise the baseball world. A pair of home runs on Tuesday night from Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber led the team to a 2-0 victory. The Phillies took the all-important first game and now hold the edge over the San Diego Padres.
Harper knew this was a big game. Watching Kyle Schwarber rocket a homer in the sixth, he couldn't contain himself.
Bryce Harper, on Kyle Schwarber’s blast: “Yeah, I thought it got pretty small pretty fast, right. I've never seen a ball go up in that section of Petco Park. Just very impressive. Just wow.”
"Bryce Harper, on Kyle Schwarber’s blast: “Yeah, I thought it got pretty small pretty fast, right. I've never seen a ball go up in that section of Petco Park. Just very impressive. Just wow.” - Todd Zolecki
Harper's shocked and playful facial reaction to Schwarber's monstrous shot said it all. A picture is worth a 1,000 words. The 488 foot pullshot left the bat at 120 mph and reached the second deck of Petco Park. Players and fans were stunned at the power and pace with which Schwarber got a hold of the pitch.
The man was too stunned to speak. #Postseason https://t.co/1jRoJtQKOo
"The man was too stunned to speak. #Postseason" - MLB
Schwarber set a new record with his sixth inning homer. This turned out to be the longest home run ever hit in the stadium. Petco Park opened in 2004.
At 119.7 mph, it was also the hardest-hit postseason home run recorded in the Statcast era.
The fact that Schwarber hit the home run off Yu Darvish makes it that much more impressive. Darvish is a five-time MLB All-Star. He was an All-MLB First Team player in 2020. He has racked up 16 wins this regular season and has been one of the leading pitchers in the Padres rotation.
Bryce Harper's return to the lineup has revived the Philadelphia Phillies season
If Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper continue to perform at this level, the Padres pitching staff is in trouble.
Only Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have hit harder HR’s since statcast started 14 years ago according to @JeffPassan
Kyle Schwarber hit the longest HR here at Petco Park -488 feet
https://t.co/fSPMmOFOmH
"Only Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have hit harder HR’s since statcast started 14 years ago according to @JeffPassan Kyle Schwarber hit the longest HR here at Petco Park -488 feet" - John Clark
Harper has been a menace since returning to the lineup. The trajectory of the team has turned since his return from injury. This team looked dead and buried midway through the season, but have since revived their season and now look like favorites for the pennant.
Two home runs from Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber turned out to be the only runs of the game. The Phillies pitching needs to continue to pitch the way they have against the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals. That, combined with an offense that's hitting home runs, should be enough to get them to their first World Series since 2009.