Sizzling Bryce Harper on Phillies’ big showdown series with Dodgers: ‘We’re pretty dang good, too’

Here’s one way to look at the three-game series that opens Friday night at Dodger Stadium: It’s a chance for the Phillies to measure their progress against the team that won the last two National League pennants.

And here’s the way that Bryce Harper chooses to view it: a showdown between two equal World Series contenders.

"Playing the Dodgers, great team, pretty good [pitching] staff, really good bullpen, and they're swinging it well right now," Harper said. "But we're pretty dang good, too."

Indeed, even after a sweep-denying 5-3 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies are 10 games over .500 (33-23). They have spent 35 consecutive days in first place in the NL East. And they have either won or split nine of their last 10 series.

The only NL team with a better record is, of course, the Dodgers, who entered Thursday night’s game against the Mets with a 37-19 mark.

And they present a specific challenge to the Phillies because of their lefty-leaning lineup. Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, Max Muncy, and Alex Verdugo are lefty power threats, and reliever Jose Alvarez is the Phillies’ only healthy left-handed pitcher. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see rookie lefty Cole Irvin called up to pitch in the series, even out of the bullpen.

"Similar to what we faced in Milwaukee and Chicago [last week], deep lineups with some really, really good left-handed hitters who have performed really well in clutch situations, who can elevate the baseball and take you deep," manager Gabe Kapler said. "[The Dodgers] have a great all-around baseball team, and we're going to have to play our best baseball to beat them."

Harper, in particular, appears to be peaking just in time for the series against the Dodgers. He blistered the Cardinals for three days, going 8-for-12 with five doubles and one homer in the series.

Once again, Harper got the Phillies offense started Thursday with a double to left field in the fourth inning. He notched another opposite-field double in the sixth and lined an RBI single to right field in the two-run eighth inning against tough Cardinals lefty reliever Andrew Miller.

"Just trying to go out there and not really worry about who I'm facing or anything like that," Harper said. "Just try to get a pitch over the plate and really just drive the baseball."

Harper became the first Phillies player since Rico Brogna in 1999 to have at least five doubles and a homer in a three-game series. He has multiple extra-base hits in three consecutive games for the second time in his career.

Veteran reliever Pat Neshek (right shoulder strain) received a cortisone injection and will be shut down from throwing for a couple of weeks. ... While the Phillies are on the West Coast, oft-injured outfielder Roman Quinn (right groin strain) will continue his running program at the team’s spring-training facility in Clearwater, Fla. He’s not yet ready to go on a minor-league assignment. ... Jake Arrieta (5-4, 3.60 ERA) will start the series opener at Dodger Stadium against right-hander Kenta Maeda (6-3, 3.67).

Get insights on the Phillies delivered straight to your inbox with Extra Innings, our newsletter for Phillies fans by Matt Breen, Bob Brookover and Scott Lauber. Click here to sign up.