Bryce Harper's Eighth-Inning Homer Ties Game 2 After Costly Error
The Phillies star atoned for a seventh-inning miscue that allowed the Braves to take the lead, ultimately helping Philadelphia to a dramatic extra-innings victory.
Bryce Harper experienced a pivotal swing of momentum in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. After a seventh-inning error allowed the Braves to take a 2-1 lead, Harper responded with a game-tying home run in the top of the eighth inning. The Philadelphia Phillies went on to win the game 4-3 in 10 innings.
In the seventh inning, with the game tied 1-1 and runners on first and second, Harper was unable to cleanly field a fly ball hit by Braves catcher Drake Baldwin. The ball hit the tip of his glove and bounced away, allowing a run to score and give Atlanta the lead. The Braves extended their advantage to 3-1 later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Matt Olson.
However, Harper quickly redeemed himself. Following a solo home run by teammate Kyle Schwarber that narrowed the deficit to 3-2, Harper blasted a game-tying homer in the eighth inning. This marked Harper's second RBI of the game, as he had previously driven in Philadelphia's first run of the contest with an RBI single in the first inning.
The Phillies' victory in Game 2 evened the series after they lost Game 1 by a score of 5-3. Philadelphia secured their wild card spot with a victory in their final regular-season game on Sunday, narrowly avoiding a late-season collapse.