MLB analyst praises Bryce Harper's 2-home run game and staredown of Braves’ Orlando Arcia: "The king of Philadelphia"
On October 11, all eyes were on Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies as they brought the NLCS back to the City of Brotherly Love with a 1-1 series tie.
Harper, who hit 6 home runs and 13 RBIs in the 2022 postseason, was already seen as a messiah-like figure among Phillies fans. After his performance tonight, the 30-year old has brought his notoriety to another level.
In the third inning, the Phillies were already up 1-0 over the Braves when Harper crushed a Bryce Elder pitch 408 feet to deep left field. The bomb put the Phillies up by a score of 4-1 over the team that finished with the best record in the NL.
"BRYCE HARPER DEMOLISHED! THAT WAS OBVIOUS!" - Talkin' Baseball
As he rounded the bases, Bryce Harper was seen giving Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia an intense stare-down. The beef between the two players stems from Game 2 of the series, when Arcia was heard mocking Harper after the latter's baserunning gaffe led to a game-ending double play.
As the game went on, the Philadelphia Phillies added to their lead to go up 6-1 by the end of the fourth inning. To lead off the fifth, Bryce Harper crushed another home run off of Braves reliever Brad Hand for his second jack of the game. The jack represented the first multi-homer game of Harper's postseason career.
In response to the magnificent performance from Harper, MLB analyst Jared Carrabis took to his X account to laud the Las Vegas-native. Carrabis, a noted Boston Red Sox fan, claimed that the people of Philadelphia should honor Harper with a statue.
"BRYCE HARPER IS THE KING OF PHILADELPHIA BUILD THE DA*N STATUE" - Jared Carrabis
Now up by a score of 7-1 in the sixth, the Phillies have the chance to advance into a commanding position against the Phillies with a win. Should they be successful, Harper and his teammates will advance to their second-straight NLCS.
With Bryce Harper on their side, the Phillies appear to be unstoppable
As if his performance in last year's postseason was not insane enough, Harper now appears to be on the cusp of doing something truly special for his team. If the Phillies can rectify past mistakes and win the 2023 World Series in front of their home fans, then Harper will assume a place in Phillies' lore that few could ever hope to surpass.