NLCS: Bryce Harper Leads Phillies to World Series Game 6 win
PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper is back … and he’s back in the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Harper blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning, lifting the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Mets 9-6 on Tuesday night to snap a two-game NLDS lead and even the record books at 17 games.
The Phillies (95-67) won their first postseason game on the same night they won the regular season record for consecutive postseason wins — a staggering 18.
“It’s definitely a feeling you dream about,” Harper said. “We know how tough it is. We just had to get over it, move on and play a lot of baseball.”
Harper hit a first-inning solo homer off Michael Conforto (2-0) and added a two-run blast off Jonathon Niese (1-1) in the eighth to give the Phillies a 7-6 lead. After a run-scoring base hit by Rhys Hoskins, Harper followed with a drive to center field off Niese.
“I didn’t have no thought of swinging at anything in the middle of the inning,” Harper said. “I was just trying to get the first out and see what was happening. I’m just going to try to keep doing it every at-bat.”
The Phillies needed one run before reliever Brad Lidge pitched a one-out, bottom of the eighth inning.
The Mets tied the game on Eric Campbell’s leadoff homer in the fourth.
The Phillies pulled to within a run in the seventh when Bryce Harper hit a two-run homer.
The NL’s top two starters, Harper and Clayton Kershaw, combined to strike out 10 for the Phillies in the loss.
The Mets (89-71) took a 2-0 lead in the first on Campbell’s homer. Harper allowed a pair to Cameron Maybin and Michael Conforto to reach on errors in the first and third respectively, and then he grounded out before Matt Harvey gave the Mets a 4-1 lead on a pair of singles in the second.
Harper entered in the eighth with a pair of hits, including a single off Niese in the first. Harper came on to pitch two innings with both runs coming on his double off the left side, and then he was relieved by L