Atta-Boy: Harper Blasts Phillies to 2-1 NLDS Lead Over Braves

The Philadelphia Phillies took a 2-1 lead in the NLDS with a 10-2 victory against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday. Bryce Harper stole the show with two of the six Phillies home runs. 

Harper is the biggest superstar in the major leagues. His $330 million contract somehow looks like a bargain four years after he came to Philadelphia.

While he probably didn’t need extra adrenaline during the MLB Playoffs, Orlando Arcia offered it anyway. The Atlanta role player mocked Harper for an overaggressive baserunning mistake in Game 2. However, Harper made up for it in Game 3.

His three-run home run in the 3rd inning put the Phillies up 4-1. He wasn’t finished. His second homer left the yard in dead center field to put the Phillies up 7-1 in the 5th inning.

He deflected any trash talk in a postgame interview, but it wasn’t exactly a coincidence that Harper stared down Arcia as he rounded the bases after his first long ball.

The offense jumpstarted the Phillies to the rebound win after a heartbreaking loss in Game 2. However, Aaron Nola also pitched well by limiting the Braves to two runs in 5⅔ innings. He has looked like the reliable second starter the Phillies know he can be in his two playoff starts. He struck out nine. 

Matt Strahm, Seranthony Dominguez, Orion Kerkering, and Michael Lorenzen closed the door for the Phillies. Strahm allowed an inherited runner from Nola to score while the rest of the bullpen blanked the high-powered Atlanta offense.

The Red October crowd at Citizens Bank Park poured it on to the visiting Braves. The mocking tomahawk chop, the loud boos for Arcia and Marcell Ozuna (who has a questionable history off the field), and a legendary “We Want Strider!” chant in the late innings were the highlights for a crowd that never fails to make opposing teams uncomfortable.

They’ll get exactly what they asked for in Game 4 on Thursday when Bryce Harper and the Phillies take on the Braves again. Spencer Strider will square up against Ranger Suarez in what’s become one of the best rivalries in baseball.

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The Phillies are back in the NLDS. After beating the Marlins in the Wild Card Round, they are moving on to face the Braves. This exact matchup went very well for the Phillies last year. It started with them winning game 1 in Atlanta. Then they got to Spencer Strider in game 3, with an unforgettable bat spike by Rhys Hoskins. And closed it out in game 4 with another HR Derby, including an inside-the-parker by JT Realmuto. But both teams look a bit different than last year, even if the core for each side still looks the same. And there are lots of new faces on the 26-man Roster this time around.

Game 1- Saturday- Oct 7th- TBD In Atlanta

Game 2- Monday- Oct 9th- TBD- In Atlanta

Game 3- Wednesday- Oct 11th- TBD- In Philly

Game 4 (if needed)- Thursday- Oct 12- TBD- In Philly

Game 5-(if needed)- Saturday- Oct 14th- TBD- In Atlanta

In the Wild Card Series, the Phillies elected to keep fewer pitchers, to add another righty, Weston Wilson, onto the 26-man roster. Mostly because the Marlins are capable of throwing a lot of tough lefty pitchers at you. The Braves do have Max Fried, but their rotation and bullpen are more righty-heavy than the Marlins are. So the approach in constructing the 26-man roster for the NLDS is a bit different. It starts with Weston Wilson being less likely to be there for this series.

So who will make it? And how have each of those guys performed this season? Here are the 26 guys who will be on the roster for the series against the Braves. Along with each of their season stats, and their stats vs. the Braves this year.

Season Stats

.252/.310/.452/.762

20 HRs, 28 2Bs, 5 3Bs, 63 RBIs, 70 Runs, 16 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.194/.250/.333/.583

1 HR, 2 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 2RBIs, 4 Runs, 0 SBs

Season Stats

.293/.401/.499/.900

21 HRs, 29 2Bs, 1 3B, 72 RBIs, 84 Runs, 11 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.244/.397/.578/.974

5 HRs, 0 2B, 0 3B, 9 RBIs, 10 Runs, 1 SB

Season Stats

.280/.329/.419/.747

15 HRs, 32 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 62 RBIs, 78 Runs, 31 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.220/.273/.380/.653

1 HR, 5 2Bs, 0 3B, 8 RBIs, 5 Runs, 4 SBs

Season Stats

.266/.320/.459/.778

26 HRs, 35 2Bs, 5 3Bs, 76 RBIs, 102 Runs, 30 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.204/.272/.370/.642

2 HRs, 3 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 7 RBIs, 7 Runs, 4 SBs

Season Stats

.274/.327/.437/.765

20 HRs, 31 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 97 RBIs, 74 Runs, 4 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.262/.319/.381/.700

1 HR, 2 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 7 RBIs, 1 Run, 0 SB

Season Stats

.277/.372/.458/.829

12 HRs, 25 2Bs, 6 3Bs, 60 RBIs, 58 Runs, 10 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.286/.362/.452/.814

2 HRs, 1 2B. 0 3B, 5 RBIs, 7 Runs, 1 SB

Season Stats

.302/.342/.430/.771

2 HRs, 9 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 23 RBIs, 24 Runs, 14 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.286/.333/.571/.905

1 HR, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 RBIs, 4 Runs, 2 SBs

Season Stats

.272/.311/.476/.788

29 HRs, 37 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 106 RBIs, 79 Runs, 11 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.294/.345/.608/.953

4 HRs, 2 2Bs, 1 3B, 9 RBIs, 8 Runs, 0 SBs

Season Stats

.197/.343/.474/.817

47 HRs, 19 2Bs, 1 3B, 104 RBIs, 108 Runs, 0 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.184/.344/.327/.671

2 HRs, 1 2B, 0 3B, 5 RBIs, 8 Runs, 0 SB

Season Stats

.251/.293/.427/.719

10 HRs, 15 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 30 RBIs, 34 Runs, 4 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.154/.154/.231/.385

0 HRs, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 RBIs, 1 Run, 0 SBs

Season Stats

.238/.319/.417/.736

2 HRs, 7 2Bs, 1 3B, 11 RBIs, 12 Runs, 2 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.000/.143/.000/.143

0 HRs, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 RBIs, 0 Runs, 0 SBs

Season Stats

.238/.319/.417/.736

2 HRs, 7 2Bs, 1 3B, 11 RBIs, 12 Runs, 2 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.000/.143/.000/.143

0 HRs, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 RBIs, 0 Runs, 0 SBs

Season Stats

.204/.274/.283/.557

1 HR, 4 2Bs, 1 3B, 12 RBIs, 15 Runs, 2 SBs

Stats vs Braves

.000/.000/.000/.000

0 HRs, 0 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 0 RBIs, 0 Runs, 0 SB

Season Stats

3.61 ERA, 13-6, 212 Ks, 192 IPs, 1,08 WHIP

Stats vs Braves

3.32 ERA, 2-0, 21 Ks, 19 IPs, 1.00 WHIP

Season Stats 

4.46 ERA, 12-9, 202 Ks, 193.2 IPs, 1.15 WHIP 

Stats vs Braves 

3.50 ERA, 0-0, 20 Ks, 18 IPs, 1.11 WHIP 

Season Stats

4.18 ERA, 4-6, 119 Ks, 125 IPs, 1.42 WHIP

Stats vs Braves

1.5 ERA, 0-0, 7 Ks, 6 IPs, 1.00 WHIP

Season Stats

4.38 ERA, 15-6, 138 Ks, 172.2 IPs, 1.31 WHIP

Stats vs Braves

6.00 ERA, 1-0, 6Ks, 12 IPs, 1.67 WHIP

Season Stats

3.44 ERA, 3-5, 96 Ks, 99.1 IPs, 1.05 WHIP

Stats vs. Braves

5.56 ERA, 0-2, 12 Ks, 11.1 IPs, 1.94 WHIP

Season Stats

4.18 ERA, 9-9, 111 Ks, 153 IPs, 1.21 WHIP

Stats vs. Braves

11.12 ERA, 1-1, 6 Ks, 11.1 IPs, 2.12 WHIP

Season Stats

3.26 ERA, 23 Saves, 94 Ks, 69 IPs, 1.04 WHIP

Stats vs Braves

1.50 ERA, 3 Saves, 7 Ks, 6 IPs, 0.83 WHIP

Season Stats

1.74 ERA, 10 Saves, 64 Ks, 41.1 IPs, 1.16 WHIP

Stats vs. Braves

2.25 ERA, 0 Saves, 5Ks, 4 IPS, 1.25 WHIP

Season Stats

4.62 ERA, 3 Saves, 65Ks, 60.1 IPs, 1.14 WHIP

Stats vs. Braves

8.31 ERA*, 0 Saves, 6 Ks, 4.1 Innings, 1.84 WHIP

*Most of that 8.31 came off one bad out in May, Soto has given up 1 run over his last 3 outings vs the Braves*

Season Stats

2.41 ERA, 1 Save, 69 Ks, 52.1 IPs, 0.92 WHIP

Stats vs. Braves

7.2 ERA, 0 Saves, 5 Ks, 5 IPs, 1.80 WHIP

Season Stats

3.29 ERA, 2 Saves, 108 Ks, 87.2 IPs, 1.02 WHIP

Stats vs Braves

1.69 ERA, 1 Save, 3 Ks, 5.1 IPs, 0.94 WHIP

Season Stats

3.78 ERA, 2 Saves, 48 Ks, 50 Ks, 50 IPs, 1.40 WHIP

Stats vs. Braves

0.00 ERA, 0 Saves, 3Ks, 3.2 IPs, 0.30 WHIP

Season Stats

0.00 ERA, 0 Saves, 6 Ks, 3.0 IPs, 1.33 WHIP

Stats vs Braves

Has Not Faced the Braves