Harper knocking on door of record to put him with pretty select company
Harper knocking on door of record to put him with pretty select company originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
And now the countdown begins for Bryce Harper.
There have been 157 assorted gentlemen, scamps and scoundrels to bash at least 300 career home runs in the big leagues.
Fifty-seven of those made it to 400 and a select group of 28 reached 500.
Harper, still just 30 years old, is poised to begin climbing that stepladder to join the ranks of some of the best power hitters of all time. He homered in his third consecutive game Wednesday, a three-run laser in the bottom of the ninth that sent the game into extra innings before the Phillies fell, 8-6, in 10 innings.
He now needs just three more to reach 300 for his career. And that already puts him on track to join some pretty select company.
Of the 500 Club, Miguel Cabrera is the only active player on the list. He reached 300 when he was in his age 29 season. But Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt, Frank Thomas and Reggie Jackson, for example, were all in their age 31 seasons. So was Jim Thome, who is just one of nine to reach 600.
“(Getting to 300) is cool,” Harper said. “I think at a young age, you’re not really thinking about 300 when you’re thinking about more, right? Three hundred is a good stepping stone to the next hundred or 300 or whatever it is. Just got to get there.”
No. 300, whenever it comes, will be hard-pressed to match No. 297 for drama and tension. The Phillies trailed by three going into the bottom of the ninth. For the second straight game they were facing Giants closer Camilo Doval. And, for the second straight game, Doval didn’t get the job done.
He started the inning by walking Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner. Harper, aggressive, swung at the first pitch in the dirt then took three straight balls before launching a tracer off the foul pole in right to tie the score.
“I saw he was kind of erratic the first two at bats,” Harper said. “I took a chance on the first pitch and then kind of tried to bear down and have a good at bat. And I was able to get it out of there.”
The Phillies had a chance to win it right there. Jakob Junis, the seventh of nine relievers Giants manager Gabe Kapler deployed, replaced Doval and immediately gave up a single to Nick Castellanos. With Johan Rojas pinch-running, Bryson Stott followed with a sinking line drive to left, but Wade Meckler raced in to make a diving catch.
Alec Bohm then blasted a long drive to right-center but Austin Slater made an incredible catch as he was running into the out-of-town scoreboard. Rojas then stole second and went to third on a wild pitch, but was stranded when J.T. Realmuto struck out to end the inning.
Harper also lined out twice and singled sharply.
“He’s on it right now,” said manager Rob Thomson.
He’s also been dinged lately. He started at designated hitter again Wednesday due to lingering precautions about lower back concerns. In the series finale he fouled a pitch off his right knee and was hit on the left forearm by a pitch. But Harper said he felt fine and didn’t rule out the possibility he could be back at first as early as Friday when play resumes with a weekend series against the Cardinals.
