Bryce Harper’s ‘aggressive’ baserunning proves costly in loss to Diamondbacks

Bryce Harper never stopped running.

And that was the problem.

Harper scalded a two-strike changeup up the middle for a hit in the fourth inning Sunday but tried to stretch a single and was thrown out easily at second base by Diamondbacks center fielder Alek Thomas. It was the first out of the inning in an eventual 4-3 Phillies loss.

“I feel like every ball, or most balls, that I hit in that spot, I’m going to try to get there [for a double],” Harper said. “I thought it was a good point in the game. We hadn’t really had anything going the whole day. He made a good throw and got me in that situation.”

Manager Rob Thomson noted that Harper tends to be “pretty aggressive” on the bases, although this was the first time this season that he ran into an out. Last season, he made six outs on the bases, including three trying to stretch a single.

“He does that a lot, and most of the time, he’s safe,” Thomson said. “He’s aggressive.”

In this case, with the Phillies trailing 1-0, they could’ve had Harper on first base with no outs and Brandon Marsh coming to the plate.

Asked if he felt a need to address the play with Harper later, Thomson said simply, “He knows.”

Zach Pop has made 170 appearances in the majors.

Until Sunday, all were in relief.

But there’s a first time for almost everything. So, when Pop was told 45 minutes before the game that the Phillies needed him to start in place of migraine-stricken rookie Andrew Painter, the veteran righty didn’t ask questions.

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“I was a little nervous,” Pop said. “Honestly, just said a little prayer to God and just said, ‘Hey, take care of me,’ and yeah, he did.”

Pop pitched two innings and threw 37 pitches, his highest total since June 26 of last season for Seattle. He worked around a one-out double by Corbin Carroll in the first inning, then allowed a run in the second on Nolan Arenado’s leadoff single and a one-out double by James McCann.

Pop said his last “real start” came for the University of Kentucky. He didn’t have time to alert family or friends that he’d be starting other than a quick text message to his wife.

“I was like, ‘Hey, I might start this one. Get here a little earlier,’” Pop said.

Painter recovered from the migraine in time to enter in the third inning.

Catcher J.T. Realmuto was “sore,” Thomson said, after taking a José Alvarado pitch off the right foot in the seventh inning Saturday, a few days after getting hit by a foul tip earlier in the week in San Francisco.

“To get it in the same spot, within a matter of days,” Thomson said, “it’s really not very common.”

Realmuto was receiving treatment before the game. He was available only if Rafael Marchán had to leave the game, according to Thomson, who said Realmuto would have started if not for the injury.

Thomson said utility man Dylan Moore is likely the Phillies’ emergency catcher.

» READ MORE: Fans are ‘entertained’ by ABS. Here’s how the Phillies feel about the new pitch-challenge system after one week.

Phillies catchers were 8-for-8 on ABS challenges until Marchán broke the streak in the fourth inning on a ball from Painter to José Fernandez. ... Kyle Schwarber has reached base in 13 consecutive games. ... Adolis García is a “strong candidate” to bat cleanup this week against the Cubs, Thomson said. Marsh, a left-handed hitter, moved into the cleanup spot for three games against the Diamondbacks’ all-righty bullpen. ... The Phillies will play 32 games in 34 days beginning Friday. With Zack Wheeler due to rejoin the rotation, likely during an April 24-26 series in Atlanta, Thomson said the team “possibly” will use a six-man starting rotation. ... Cristopher Sánchez (1-1, 1.65 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener against Cubs right-hander Javier Assad (1-0, 0.00) at 6:40 p.m. Monday on NBC Sports Philadelphia+ and 94.1-WIP.