SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bryce Harper broke out of a slump with a career-best four extra-base hits — and then issued a reminder about his place in the game.
“I’m really good. I mean, I really am,” Harper said after leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 13-0 rout of the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. “I don’t want to put that out there and everybody go, ‘What’s he talking about?’ But I know when I’m going well, I’m one of the best in baseball. I’m healthy. I’m strong. I feel great.”
Harper hasn’t been himself much of the season. The two-time NL MVP and eight-time All-Star missed most of June with inflammation in his right wrist.
He had gone 1 for 14 in four games before Wednesday, when he hit a homer and three doubles, all to the opposite field. He sent a 3-1 fastball from Justin Verlander over the left-field wall for his first longball since returning from the injured list.
After the game, he stressed the importance of getting ahead in the count.
“I hate talking about individual (achievements) and all that kind of stuff,” Harper said. “But if I get into good counts and don’t swing at crap away or in or anything else, then I’ll be right where I need to be.”
Harper has 346 homers in 14 seasons and connected against Verlander — who’s in his 20th season — for the first time.
“That’s an all-timer, man,” Harper said of Verlander. “He’s going to be a Hall of Famer and he’s had an unbelievable career. … All the respect to him, but I was happy I was able to get that out of the way.”
Even with his breakout performance on Wednesday, the 32-year-old Harper is batting .259 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs in 65 games this season. His on-base-plus-slugging percentage is .819, well below his career mark of .906. He led the league in that category during his MVP seasons for Washington in 2015 and Philadelphia in 2021.
The Phillies (54-39) moved one-half game ahead of the New York Mets, who were rained out at Baltimore, in the NL East. Manager Rob Thomson is excited about what his team could achieve with Harper producing at his usual level.
“If Harp gets hot,” Thomson said, “it might be fun to watch.”
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