The Philadelphia Phillies came out swinging on Thursday night against the Washington Nationals. A major catalyst for that was the still surging Bryce Harper.
In the 9th inning, with the score tied at five, Harper hit a two-run homer that sparked a five-run surge. In the process, the Phillies became the first team in MLB history to hit a go-around home run, Sarah Langs of MLB.com.
The Phillies are the first team in MLB history to hit a go-ahead HR in the ninth inning of three consecutive games
!!!
h/t @EliasSports https://t.co/nctmUd3qqT
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 26, 2026
The Phillies went on to win 10-5. Harper went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. All three of Philadelphia’s games in which they hit 9th-inning home runs were against the Nationals. In the first game, Brandon Marsh tied the game with a two-run homer in the 9th inning. Bryson Stott hit a three-run go-ahead homer that spurred an eight-run inning. Philadelphia went on to win 14-9.
In the second game, Derek Hill came into the game as a pinch-hitter and hit a walk-off home run to secure a 5-4 win. The Chicago White Sox had just traded Hill to Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, Harper is batting .264 with 44 hits, 17 home runs, and 52 RBIs. Philadelphia is now 45-36 and has won seven out of its last ten games. At first base and in right field, Harper has been impeccable, with a .995 fielding percentage and only three errors over the course of 75 games.
All in all, Harper has been one of the most consistent players amongst a veteran-laden roster during an up-and-down season for Philadelphia. It also explains why the organization has refuted rumors of a possible trade.
In the offseason, Harper signed a one-year, $10 million contract extension.
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