Bryce Harper explains why he’s bunting so much | Extra Innings

When Bryce Harper speaks, the Phillies listen. Harper said on Aug. 22 — after yet another bullpen collapse — that the Phillies needed to win nine out of 10 games if they wanted to turn their season around. So, the Phillies won nine of their next 10 games. They’re in second place with 27 games remaining, and the postseason has become tangible.

The team that finished a four-game sweep on Thursday feels like a totally different team from the group that suffered that brutal loss last month in Atlanta. That’s what winning nine out of 10 games will do.

You’re signed up to get this newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning during the season. If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends it’s free to sign up here. I want to know what you think, what we should add, and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email or on Twitter @matt_breen. Thank you for reading.

— Matt Breen (extrainnings@inquirer.com)

Harper has the second-most homers, third-most RBIs, and second-highest slugging percentage among the Phillies’ regular players. Since reaching the majors, he has the 20th-best slugging percentage in baseball. He’s one of baseball’s feared hitters, yet this season, he is also one of baseball’s most frequent bunters.

Harper bunted Thursday for the sixth time this season, the third-most bunt attempts in the National League. He bunted last season six times in 682 plate appearances. His sixth bunt this season was in his 135th plate appearance.

Harper, according to FanGraphs, has faced shifts this season in a career-high 52% of his plate appearances. And most of his bunts have been aimed toward third base in an attempt to beat the shift. Harper, as he did Thursday, has been willing at times to trade his power for an attempt at an easy single.

“When it works, I think it’s a big play for us,” he said. “I can score from first on a ball in the gap and can do certain things like that. Trying to beat the shift and get a guy on base. It has to be the perfect situation for me to be able to do it and to do it the right way. With two outs, I have to hit a double to the gap. First and second, I have to hit a double. I have to get things done and get it done the right way. Maybe be a little bit smarter with the spots that I do pick to do it in.”

Phillies manager Joe Girardi said Harper is probably bunting more this season because of the way J.T. Realmuto has produced behind him in the lineup. The more people on base, Girardi said, the better chance to score more runs.

“For the most part, his decision-making has been pretty good when he’s done it,” Girardi said. “I kind of leave it up to him. Sometimes, it comes down to how a guy feels in the box, and that’s one thing I can’t determine. Do you see this guy? Do you not see this guy? Do you feel comfortable in the box? I kind of leave it up to him.”

“There are obviously times that we don’t want him to bunt, but there are times that he feels that it might be the best way to get on.”

Harper’s bunt Thursday worked when Nationals pitcher Anibal Sanchez misplayed the grounder as Harper sprinted to first. The pitcher was likely surprised, as Harper did not decide to bunt until the third pitch of the at-bat.

But the bunts haven’t all been successful. Last week, Harper fouled out when he tried to bunt with two strikes. He had runners on first and second with no outs.

“That was dumb,” Harper said. “It was just flat-out stupid. I don’t know what I was doing or what I was thinking.”

It wasn’t the right situation, Harper said. So he didn’t bunt again for seven more games. On Thursday, he found the right spot.

The Phillies came from behind to beat the Nationals and fulfill Harper’s prophecy of nine wins in 10 games, Scott Lauber writes. The Phillies completed their first four-game sweep of the Nationals in 11 years — since May 15-17, 2009, to be exact. At 18-15, they have the fifth-best record in the National League; they were 14th in the league and had dropped five games in a row when Harper made his comment after a walk-off loss in Atlanta on Aug. 22.

The Phillies finally give Dick Allen the first of two long overdue tributes, Bob Brookover writes. Retiring Allen’s No. 15 was past due, and Brookover hopes that there’s another overdue ceremony coming soon for Allen in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Allen’s Hall of Fame case could receive a Hollywood boost from Mike Tollin, a celebrated filmmaker and Phillies fan. Tollin grew up in Havertown and fell in love with Allen and the 1964 Phillies. He’s since made movies such as Radio, Summer Catch, and Varsity Blues and the recent Chicago Bulls documentary series The Last Dance. Tollin’s latest project is a documentary about Allen.

Today: Jake Arrieta starts the series opener at Mets, 7:10 p.m.

Tomorrow: Spencer Howard faces Seth Lugo, 7:10 p.m.

Sunday: Aaron Nola starts against Jacob deGrom, 1:10 p.m.

Monday: Zack Wheeler pitches the series finale, 1:10 p.m.

Tuesday: Phillies have a doubleheader against the Red Sox, 4:05 p.m.

Last week, the Washington Nationals tweeted a graphic about the team’s successful history against the Phillies with the caption “Beating Philadelphia isn’t as hard as Philadelphians say it is.” Since then, the Phillies have beaten the Nationals six straight times and outscored them, 23-11.

The Phillies are in second place in the NL East and trail Atlanta by 2.5 games. The Nationals are in last with a 9.5-game deficit. And the Nationals no longer have a winning all-time record against the Phillies. The graphic said the Nationals were 140-139 against the Phillies, but now they’re 140-145. You hate to see it.

Send questions by email or on Twitter @matt_breen.

Question: If the Phillies make the playoffs, who will they use in a three-game series? — Jerry J. via email

Answer: Thanks, Jerry. Yes, the first-round of the playoffs in 2020 will be a three-game series instead of five. There’s no wild-card round or five-game division series. All eight National League playoff teams will play a best-of-three.

Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler would obviously start the first two games, and Zach Eflin is in the driver’s seat to start Game 3, if necessary. There’s still a lot of work for the Phillies to do before they make the playoffs, and that third spot still needs to be finalized. But the Phillies would be a tough matchup when they’re starting Nola and Wheeler.