In Photos: Bryce Harper sports Topps card-inspired custom Under Armour cleats for Phillies vs. Yankees clash
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper is known to wear custom gear ranging from Under Armour products to Phillie Phanatic-inspired gear. On Monday, he went on a slightly different note and wore card-inspired custom Under Armour cleats for the series finale against the New York Yankees.
Harper debuted a rare colorway, "Gem Mint," under the UA Harper 9 line. This was a unique collaboration between sneakerwear and sports card trading company Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA).
The cleat has Under Armour's unique IntelliKnit upper, which is breathable and provides excellent stretch and compression where you need it. The holographic shoe accents refer back to the card-collecting beginnings of this collaboration with PSA.
According to SI, starting this Thursday, the cleats can be accessed online at UA.com. Each pair includes a PSA slabbed schematic card, with 20 randomly selected pairs receiving a Harper-signed card.
Bryce Harper and Phillies get swept at Citizens Bank Park after two years
The Philadelphia Phillies were swept on Wednesday by the New York Yankees, who won the game 6-5. This was the first time the Phillies endured a sweep on their home turf, Citizens Bank Park, since July 2022.
This marked the Phillies fifth straight series loss. They last won the series against the LA Dodgers, and since then they have dropped series against the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians — and now the Yankees.
DJ LeMahieu blasted a grand slam and contributed to the Yankees' win with a career-high six RBIs. Moreover, Nestor Cortes Jr. registered his first road win of the year after pitching 5.1 innings for three runs while striking out six hitters.
For the Phillies, Harper's slump is concerning. On Wednesday, he went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and has only recorded one hit in his last 30 plate appearances. However, Phillies manager Rob Thomson is confident that the NL MVP contender will find his form.
"You know he's [Bryce Harper] going to come out of it at some point; he's such a great hitter," Thomson said. "He's going to start hitting home runs again, and he's going to start feeling good about himself. Maybe he needs a day off to clear his head a little bit."
With the loss, the Phillies dropped to 65-43 but sustained their best record in MLB. However, they'll need to work on their weaknesses and get back to winning ways.