PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper tied the game with one swing and scored the winning run with one hand brushing the plate. The Phillies slugger was in the mix for two late rallies that saved them from a sweep.
“That’s the most dangerous Bryce Harper you can find,” starter Zach Eflin said. “You’re starting to feel that presence go throughout the whole team. Everybody’s getting fired up about it.”
Andrew Knapp hit the winning single in the ninth inning, Harper hit a tying solo homer in the seventh and Philadelphia beat the San Francisco Giants 6-5 on Wednesday.
Harper walked off Wandy Peralta (2-1) to open the ninth, and Brad Miller’s fourth hit of the game put two runners on. Knapp hit a one-out single to left, and Harper beat Alex Dickerson’s throw, scoring standing up and touching the plate with his fingertips to help the Phillies avert a three-game sweep against their former manager, Gabe Kapler, and the Giants.
Hector Neris (1-1) struck out two in a scoreless ninth for the win.
Darin Ruf had a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the seventh off Brandon Kintzler and the Giants went ahead 5-4 in the inning after left fielder Andrew McCutchen dropped a routine flyball for an error with two outs. Dickerson drove in Mike Yastrzemski two batters later for the lead. Ruf, a former Phillie, had San Francisco’s seventh pinch hit of the season and third homer and seemingly put the Giants in position to head home with a winning record on their trip.
“I thought we played some good baseball and I think our offense in this series began to gel a little bit and show the type of firepower that we have,” Kapler said. “I think there’s better baseball in us and I’m never going to be satisfied going 3-3 on a road trip.”
Harper wasted little time tying the game,…
Leave a Reply