Philly Leader

PHILADELPHIA -- Bryce Harper ended a month-long home run drought on Saturday afternoon, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-4 comeback victory over the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. The win reduced the Phillies' magic number to clinch the NL East to seven with 14 games remaining.

Harper's solo homer in the fourth inning marked his first home run in 128 plate appearances, breaking the second-longest homerless streak of his career. He followed this with a two-run homer in the sixth inning, cutting New York’s lead to one.

“It felt like a good atmosphere,” Harper said about his sixth-inning homer. “It felt like a playoff atmosphere. It felt like a big at-bat, a big situation. I love that, so it was good.”

Cal Stevenson’s go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning secured the victory for Philadelphia. Stevenson described it as "the biggest hit of his career," surpassing an eighth-inning go-ahead double he hit earlier in the week against Tampa Bay.

“That one’s probably up there, too,” Stevenson said regarding his performance. “It feels good to contribute this late in the year for this team. We’re fighting for a No. 1 seed and the best record in baseball."

The Phillies are hopeful that Harper's recent success is indicative of more strong performances as they approach October and aim for their first division title since 2011.

“I said to [Stevenson] today and I said to Buddy [Kennedy] the other day, 'If you can take those at-bats in that situation, you can take any at-bat in your career,'” Harper stated.

Harper has been playing through injuries, including soreness in his right wrist and elbow, which have affected his power output recently.

“I’d go another 200 at-bats or 100 at-bats without one,” Harper remarked about hitting home runs. “I mean, it is what it is, right? I’m having good at-bats; we’re winning games.”

In addition to Harper's contributions, Taijuan Walker pitched three scoreless innings in relief after Kolby Allard allowed four runs over three innings.

Harper praised Severino’s pitching despite their battle resulting in two home runs for him: “They were not hitting the ball except for Harper,” Severino noted.

With postseason aspirations high, every player’s contribution is crucial as emphasized by both Harper and Stevenson following their pivotal performances on Saturday.