Phillies: Bryce Harper open, honest about staying aggressive

DENVER — Playing at altitude, just eight games after making his return from Tommy John surgery, Bryce Harper stole third in the eighth inning of Friday’s Phillies win over the Colorado Rockies. It was part of an aggressive tone set by the All-Star and part of a late-game onslaught that carried the Phillies to a 6-3 win.

Bryce Harper shows no fear in Phillies win on Friday night

Harper filled up the box score on Friday, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and that stolen base, his first of the season. After striking out in his first two at-bats of the night, the two-time MVP logged a single and a two-run double that struck high off the fence in right-center, leaving the bat at 104.4 mph. That double broke open what had been a pitcher’s duel during the first six innings.

“That was expected, right?” Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm, who homered earlier in the game and scored on Harper’s double said of the shot to deep right-center. “I think everybody was kind of waiting for that. Those are the situations where he always seemed so comfortable and calm. He’s always coming through in those spots. We’re happy to have him back for sure.”

While the double may have stolen the spotlight, the steal after that led to a throwing error by Rockies catcher Elias Diaz, which allowed Harper to score the third run of the frame. It also signified that Harper wasn’t on the field just to be there. He was there to contribute in any way he could for a Phillies team starting a road trip and trying to get back to .500 after struggling early in the season.

“I don’t want to play like that,” Harper said after the game, referring to any hesitation in going all-out. “I think this might sound bad right now, but if it (elbow) blows, it blows. That’s my feeling. I felt that way with my thumb. I felt that way with my knee. I don’t want to try to get over the hump. I just want to get through it.

“I believe in my surgeon to do what he did and he was able to do that. I believe in my training staff and our mindset, going out there and playing.”

Harper emphasized there’s a difference between playing smart and playing without using his head.

“I’m not going to be reckless of course, but I don’t want to go out there and be hesitant because when you’re hesitant and you’re playing that way, that’s where you get hurt and ‘Oh man, I shouldn’t be doing that,'” Harper said. “Go out there and play the game that I know how and pick my spots and be smart in those opportunities.”

The Phillies will certainly take all of the aggression and skills Harper has as they battle to get back to striking distance of the first-place Atlanta Braves in the NL East.