Bryce Harper experienced all the highs and lows of postseason baseball on Wednesday.
The Phillies star started the do-or-die Game 2 against the rival Braves with an RBI single in the first inning.
The middle innings were tough, with a groundout, strikeout and costly misplayed fly ball in the seventh giving Atlanta a 2-1 lead.
But Harper put the mistakes behind him moments later with a game-tying home run in the eighth before the Phillies went on to win in extra innings.
How did Harper get over his mistake so quickly? After the game, the 33-year-old spoke about how years of experience built him for these moments.
Just when it looked like the Phillies were done in the eighth inning, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper each homer to tie the game at three!!!
“I was thinking about Krew, my son, what I would say to him in that situation,” Harper explained postgame. “I think it’s a learning situation not just for myself, but for everyone else, as well. You try to flush it as quick as possible.
“I grew up playing in a lot of big games. I’ve said it in the past about the postseason, but playing huge games that people are counting on you from the time you are 10 years old all the way until now. I don’t think people understand what that feels like or looks like — because when you guys were 10 years old, you probably weren’t playing in front of 3,000 people yelling and screaming at you, wondering why you aren’t the player you want to be.
“So, I’ve been through a lot of situations to get me to this point. When you make a play like that, I’m out there hearing it obviously (from opposing fans). But, how quickly can I turn the page and just get past that moment, knowing that I’m still coming up to the plate to hit. Knowing that in the postseason, it doesn’t matter what you did in the at-bat before or the inning before — it’s what you do in that moment.
“For me, everybody is going to make mistakes at some point, but it’s how you come through in the next situation. It’s not that serious, to tell you the truth. I think people take it very seriously, and don’t get me wrong, I take it very seriously. But I think there’s a mindset, especially for kids nowadays, that parents and coaches put so much on kids these days that they have to come through and be great. But for me, it’s ‘How can you learn from the situation that you’re in to come out great in the next one?'”
Harper showed he can quickly learned from mistakes, and it helped keep the Phillies’ season alive. In 59 career postseason games, Harper is now up to 18 home runs and a batting average of .272, proving that he often rises in key moments.
The NL Wild Card Series will wrap up on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, as a date with the two-time defending champion Dodgers awaits for the winner.
WHAT A WIN! Phillies force a decisive game three after a come-from-behind, 4-3 win over the Braves in game two of the Wild Card series.