Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper, one of Major League Baseball’s “power hitters,” has reached the 300-homer plateau.
Harper went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs while batting third and starting at first base in the Phillies’ 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series game against the Los Angeles Angels at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, on July 31.
Harper, who hadn’t hit a hit, let alone a home run, until midway through the game, hit a first-pitch knuckleball from left-hander Matt Moore with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning with his team trailing 7-6, for a towering two-run arch over the right field fence.
Harper, who had 299 career home runs prior to the game, reached 300 with the shot, and the home fans, who watched him with bated breath, celebrated the milestone with thunderous applause and cheers. According to the Associated Press, Harper’s 300th home run is the 158th in big league history and the 12th by an active player.
Since breaking into the big leagues with the Washington Nationals in 2012, Harper has made his presence felt with double-digit home runs every year. After signing a massive 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies ahead of the 2019 season, he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, except for a 35-homer season in 2021.
This season, after missing the regular-season opener due to elbow surgery, Harper has slowly built up his power and has shown signs of getting back on track with 10 home runs in August alone.
After the game, Harper said, “300 home runs is a pretty good number, even if I have a bigger number in my head. I’m glad I got to do it in front of the fans in Philadelphia, a city I love,” he said. “I cherish going out there every day to train and play. I just love going out there every day and training and playing and wearing ‘Phillies’ on my chest,” he said, expressing his pride in the city.메이저놀이터
But the dramatic two-run blast didn’t translate into a win. After taking the lead on Harper’s homer, the Phillies gave up three runs in the top of the ninth inning to fall to the Angels, 8-10.
Meanwhile, the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, who started in the No. 3 spot, went 1-for-4 with a home run, one RBI, one walk and one run scored. He reached 150 hits for the second straight year.