Bryce Harper: "You know there's going to be 46,000 people here screaming and yelling, going crazy"
Starting with a mammoth opening hit from Bryce Harper, the Philadelphia Phillies came out all guns blazing in Game 3 of the World Series against the Houston Astros. They smashed five homers off Lance McCullers Jr., the Astros starter in Game 3.
All of the Phillies' seven runs were courtesy of homers. Harper, Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, Kyle Schwarber, and Rhys Hoskins were all successful in their deep hits.
The @Phillies tied a #WorldSeries record tonight. https://t.co/S68HbOpDQr
“The @Phillies tied a #WorldSeries record tonight.” - MLB, Twitter
The 7-0 drubbing at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia meant that the Phillies took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven-game series.
When asked what his opening hit meant for the team's momentum, Harper credited the outpouring of love and support from his home fans.
“Just walking into the ballpark, just being back home, I think is such a momentum swing for us, just for the pure fact of our fan base,” said Harper.
“We all come in here and we’re ready to go and we’re excited to get on the field because we know they’re going to show up and there’s going to be 46,000 people here screaming and yelling and going crazy.”
Bryce Harper was asked if he thought his 1st inning home run was a momentum-changer.
He gave the credit to the home crowd.
What a guy. https://t.co/vRCnbDEpHm
Hoskins, who hit one of the Phillies' five homers, said Bryce's hit got the crowd going.
“Bryce being able to punch first for us got [the crowd] involved very quickly. And it just never stopped.”
While the city of Philadelphia may not have expected to host a World Series this year, fans were confident they would be ready whenever the time came. The fearless Phillies team seems to embody the essence of this fiery city perfectly, and they appear to be just getting started.
Game 4 between the Phillies and Astros to take place on Wednesday night
Game 4 of the World Series between the Phillies and Astros will take place on Wednesday at 8:30 pm ET at Citizens Bank Park.
The team from Philadelphia are two wins away from a third World Series title in franchise history.
"13 wins is down to 4. #RedOctober" - Phillies, Instagram
The Phillies are a perfect 6-0 at Citizens Bank Park this postseason, having outscored their opponents 42-15 and outhomered them 17-6.
It's no secret that the Phillies have a star-studded lineup, but most people expect Bryce Harper to play a key role in the remaining fixtures. Harper sure does thrive under pressure, so it is going to be an interesting watch.