The Philadelphia Phillies leapt out to a huge lead in Game 3 of the NLDS with a six-run third inning against the Atlanta Braves. It started with a leadoff solo shot from Nick Castellanos, but Bryce Harper opened the floodgates with a gorgeous three-run shot.
It was an electrifying moment on its own, but Fernando Álvarez of the Spanish broadcast brought extra juice with his incredible call.
To quote the man himself: "YYYYYYYYY PERFECTO!"
Spanish broadcast adds extra layer of excitement to Bryce Harper moonshot
It has been a classic showcase from Harper, who hit a second home run innings later to extend the Phillies' lead to 7-1.
A lot of eyeballs were on Harper following his baserunning blunder at the end of Game 2. That moment led to Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia parading around the dugout postgame shouting "atta-boy, Harper" — free bulletin board material that Harper appears to have channeled into a productive bounce-back.
You will struggle to find a more consistently clutch player in all of baseball. Harper has aged out of "best in the MLB" consideration, but he remains an ice-cold slugger who has adapted admirably to first base in lieu of a nagging shoulder injury.
The Phillies are within striking distance of a 2-1 series lead against the first-place Braves. Atlanta fans have to be feeling a strong sense of deja vu right now. The Phillies ousted the Braves in five games last year, with Harper making several impactful swings at the ball. It would appear a similar outcome is in the cards this season.
There is a lot of baseball left to be played and the Phillies will face Atlanta's best pitchers, Spencer Strider and Max Fried, in the games to come. It only gets more difficult from here, but Harper has put the Phillies in a desirable position. He profusely complimented Bryce Elder earlier in the season, so it's only fitting that Harper all but ends Elder's first full MLB season with one swing of the bat.
As of this writing, Harper is 5-for-8 with three walks in the NLDS. He has three home runs, five RBIs, and five runs. It's hard to perform better than that on baseball's biggest stage.
