MIAMI _ Bryce Harper arrived Sunday afternoon at the top step of the Phillies dugout, tapped his fist against Gabe Kapler's, and felt a showering of sunflower seeds pour over him.
It took just one swing _ a booming homer in the eighth inning of a 13-6 win over the Marlins _ for Harper to provide the Phillies with a needed sense of relief. A day after blowing a six-run lead, they watched Sunday's nine-run advantage trim to just four. It felt all too familiar.
But then Harper jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Marlins reliever Jeff Brigham, sent it 385 feet to left field, and brought the lead back to six. The energy Harper felt when he returned to the dugout must have felt a bit different than how it felt when he left to bat.
The Phillies entered Sunday with 13 losses in their last 19 games. They watched all June as a first-place lead become a first-place deficit. It was the last day of June, but time already seems to be fading. The Phillies needed to win Sunday. Harper made sure of it.
It was the type of swing the Phillies needed in order to leave Miami with the energy they arrived here with on Friday. And it provided the win the Phillies hope can create a spark. June was miserable, but it ended with a win. The first week of July should help determine where the Phillies stand.
They open a three-game series on Tuesday in Atlanta and then head to New York for three games before the All-Star break. The final stretch of the season's first half will decide if the Phillies moved on from their June troubles.
Jake Arrieta struck out six batters, walked one, and allowed four runs in six innings. He kept the Phillies afloat long enough for them to score seven runs in the sixth inning. Jean Segura had three hits, Brad Miller had two RBIs, Scott Kingery stole third and home in the same inning, and J.T. Realmuto had two hits.
Harper's homer gave him four RBIs and he came a few feet from a grand slam in the sixth. His ball rocketed off the left-field wall, drove in a run, and placed Harper on second base but Jake Arrieta and Jean Segura were both standing on third base.
Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro threw to third, believing he had the first out of the inning. Arrieta instead sprinted home. He barged into Alfaro, who had not moved out of the baseline, and was awarded home. The Phillies saved an out, picked up a run, and a seven-run inning continued.
The Phillies sent 10 batters to the plate in the sixth inning and the first five reached base. Brad Miller, who homered in the fourth, singled in a run. Arrieta dropped a single into left to bring home two more. Harper's double scored two, Segura dove to score on a wild pitch, and Rhys Hoskins added a sacrifice fly.
It was the type of inning that could make a win feel near. But then the Marlins, just like they did on Saturday, responded. They tagged Arrieta for three runs in the bottom of the sixth, but even then a win still felt safe. And then J.D. Hammer allowed two runs in the seventh. Sunday was beginning to feel a lot like Saturday.
The Phillies had lost five-straight games to the Marlins. Dropping a nine-run lead would be a brutal way for loss No. 6 to come. They just needed one swing.
