Superstars shine when it matters most.

The Philadelphia Phillies won Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves in the 2023 Major League Baseball postseason at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., on October 12.

The Phillies rode a home run barrage to a 10-2 victory. The Phillies took a 2-1 series lead and are one game away from advancing to the League Championship Series.

Bryce Harper was the star of the game. Harper, who batted third on the day, kept Atlanta in the game with back-to-back home runs.

Harper’s bat flashed at key moments. After Atlanta scored first in the top of the third, Philadelphia tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a Nick Castellanos solo shot. Two batters later, the Phillies had runners on first and third with one out.

Then came Harper. After striking out in his first at-bat in the first inning, Harper was different in the second. With the count 2-1, he saw Atlanta starter Bryce Elder’s four-pitch 84.7-mile-per-hour slider right down the middle, spun his bat like a thunderbolt, and launched a game-winning three-run shot over the second-floor bleachers in right field. It was a shot that changed the course of the game.

Harper came back to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning as the leadoff hitter. The Phillies responded with a big six-run inning to cut the deficit to 6-1, but Atlanta had the best bats. Even a five-run lead wasn’t enough against a lineup that included Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson. Harper hit a solo shot over the center field fence against “former teammate” left-hander Brad Hand, ending Atlanta’s hopes of a comeback.

Before Shohei Ohtani’s meteoric rise, Harper was the best player in the majors alongside Mike Trout (LAA). While Trout’s numbers were better and more consistent, Harper, who enjoys flashy performances compared to Trout, who is more of a “schoolboy” type, was judged to have far surpassed Trout in terms of “star quality.

Harper, the superstar, shined brightest when the team needed him most. In his 41st postseason game, Harper, who still has a postseason record of 1-for-12 (1 HR) in three games, continued to be strong in the “big game” by hitting his 14th career postseason home run (career PS .282/.376/.635 14HR 28RBI). He also passed Chipper Jones for the all-time National League Division Series record for most home runs in a National League Division Series with his 10th home run. 메이저놀이터

Harper wasn’t alone. The Phillies swept the Phillies on the backs of big-money stars, including Castellanos, who had another multi-hit game, J.T. Realmuto, who followed Harper with a two-run double in the third inning, and Trey Turner, who hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Phillies, who have been getting their money’s worth, have pushed Atlanta, the top team in the majors, to the brink this season.

Last year, the Phillies