Harper dingers for days, a daycare switch up, more in Phillies weekly roundup

Harper dingers for days, a daycare switch up, more in Phillies weekly roundup originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

They're off to one of the hottest starts in MLB and squashing franchise records left and right in the process.

And there's still 123 games to go.

The Phillies spent all of spring training emphasizing the need to start the season off on the right foot but who would've thought the club would do so with such dominance? They surely did.

"I think a lot of people had an opportunity to say stuff about how we start seasons and things like that and trying to get ahead of everybody," Bryce Harper said Sunday. "But obviously games in April mean a lot, but we've got to stay consistent with the way we play and we've got to be consistent throughout the whole season, not just April, May or August or September or whatever.

"You know, we have to ride that wave and understand we're going to to through ebbs and flows of the season. … Just stay the course and play good baseball and I think we're doing that right now."

As the calendar has turned from April to May, there are no signs of slowing down … it's quite the opposite, actually.

The Phillies are 6-1 this past week, swept a four-game series against the Giants (their fourth sweep of the season, most in MLB) and still sit with the most wins in the league (27).

What's the biggest takeaway? They're playing well and having fun doing it.

Let's dive in to some of the best moments from this past week.

Dingers for days (literally)

“When he gets hot, it’s going to be real hot," Rob Thomson said about Harper following Sunday's matchup against the Giants. In that game, Harper had a three-run home run to help solidify a win.

We should all know by now to never question Topper … because that game became a launch pad for Harper.

The very next day, he had another three-run home run against the Giants … and in the best Billy Mays voice you can hear in your head as you read this — but wait, there's more. Harper then went on to hit a grand slam the next day against José Berríos. Berríos entered the night with a 1.19 ERA in the month of April, tied for the best in the American League.

Harper has had three plate appearances this year with the bases loaded. He's 2-for-2 with two grand slams, 9 RBI and a walk.

Welcome back, Kody

In his second callup of the season, Kody Clemens has once again proven he's worthy of staying up with the club.

When Harper went on paternity leave, Clemens drew into the lineup only once, on April 22 in Cincinnati. He went 2-for-4 on the day, including a three-run home run in the ninth to put the game to bed. The Phillies wound up winning 7-0.

Fast forward a few weeks and the Phillies are down another key component in their lineup with Trea Turner moving to the 10-day IL due to hamstring tightness.

Who gets the call to return to the club? Clemens.

Who steps up the first opportunity presented to them? Clemens.

In the first of two against the Blue Jays, Clemens drew in to play third, giving Alec Bohm the night off. Maybe whoever plays that position gets temporary super powers for the Phillies this season, because sure enough, Clemens impacted the game once again. He went 2-for-4, hit a two-run home run, tripled and knocked in 4 RBI.

"Stay loose and sexy, baby"

Call it the quote heard round the tri-state area (and all of MLB). With zero hesitation from the internet, Brandon Marsh threw the quote into existence and no one has looked back since.

Marsh was mic'd up for ESPN during Sunday's matchup against the Giants. In a single half-inning, we were gifted a content goldmine from the outfielder.

One question stood out above the rest, though:

"If you had to start a rock band, who would you take from the team and what's the band name?"

A rock band with Kyle Schwarber, Garrett Stubbs, Cristian Pache and Marsh. Seems like fun.

You can catch all of the highlights of the interview here.

Shortstop Stotty

Playing shortstop isn't anything new to Bryson Stott — he primarily played there throughout his college days at the University of Las Vegas. With Turner out the next few weeks, Thomson noted that Stott would slide over from second every so often.

And yeah, he didn't miss a beat.

The first ball hit his way, Stott made a sliding play to turn two in the first inning.

While the play alone was great, the postgame banter was even better. Whit Merrifield was at second for the afternoon and joined the NBC Sports Philadelphia crew for an interview after the win.

"Ever since Trea popped his hammy, we've been giving him crap every time we score runs and make plays," Merrifield said. "We turn a double play in the, I think it was the first inning. You know, I don't know if (Trea) makes that play."

He said this jokingly, of course.

The chemistry of this specific clubhouse has been discussed at length. After virtually running it back with the same crew, it's nice to see the few new additions of Merrifield and Spencer Turnbull fit in so seamlessly.

Count 'em, 18

It's been a heck of a start to the year for Alec Bohm.

Last week, he was named NL Player of the Week for his dominant offense, slashing .567/.933/.581. This week, he extended his hitting streak to 18 games, marking a career high.

It also holds as the longest hitting streak in MLB this season.

The streak ended during Monday's matchup against the Giants and then he earned a well-deserved day off Tuesday. What happened in his first game back? Right back to hitting.

What Kruk said.

Uno reverse

Not even a little (and by little, I mean a lot) of rain could ruin the vibes of this Phillies team.

The rain wasn't the only thing pouring down in Saturday's win against the Giants … so were the runs. The Phillies' offense exploded and put up 14 runs, their most of the season.

A night that could've been a wash turned out to be one of the most thrilling to date, with every starter ending with at least one hit. A random, rainy game in May had everyone glued to the TV. That's how you know something special is brewing.

And even through the bad weather, the daycare had to celebrate … but pulled a little Uno reverse. With no Postgame interview, Marsh and Stott still made sure to run out to the field, douse themselves and then scurry off into the clubhouse.

Rain or shine, the Wet Bandits have to strike after a win … and it's always amazing.

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