Bryce Harper ‘excited’ about achieving rare double milestone with one swing
The star rightfielder recorded his 1,000th career hit and 200th career homer — on one swing of the bat — Wednesday night.
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ATLANTA — Losing to the Braves didn't take away from Bryce Harper's enjoyment of a personal achievement on Wednesday night.
Harper became the first player ever to record a milestone hit and home run on the same play when he went deep in the sixth inning of the Phillies' 9-2 loss here at SunTrust Park. It marked the 1,000th hit and 200th home run of the star right fielder's career.
“No, I’ll enjoy it,” Harper said when he was asked if the outcome of the game diminished the feat. “Of course they beat us and that’s part of the game. I’m excited about it. It’s a pretty cool moment.”
Harper appeared to motion for the ball as he was rounding the bases after hitting the home run against Braves starter Bryse Wilson. He explained that he was trying to get the attention of Braves centerfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. to retrieve the ball, which had been thrown back on the field by the fan who caught it.
“I got lucky that I’ve got some nice fans out there to throw it back to me,” Harper said, chuckling.
Since he made his major-league debut in 2012, Harper ranks 14th among National League players in hits and fifth in homers, trailing Paul Goldschmidt (214), Giancarlo Stanton (211), Anthony Rizzo (209) and Nolan Arenado (206).
“Of course it’s not where I want to end up, not where I want to be,” Harper said. “I’ve got a lot of goals and dreams that I want to accomplish, and this is just part of it.”