PHILADELPHIA _ This time, at last, Bryce Harper played the hits.
Throughout Harper's month-long slump, the Phillies have taken solace in their $330 million superstar's continuing to draw walks and reach base at a decent clip. But with two on and two out in the fifth inning of a one-run game Friday night at Citizens Bank Park, something more was required.
And Harper delivered. Finally. With Rockies manager Bud Black opting to use a right-handed reliever, the lefty-swinging Harper split the gap in right-center field by stroking a 97-mph fastball for a two-run double that provided the winning margin in a 5-4 victory and snapped the Phillies' three-game losing skid.
Harper left the walks to his teammates, including rookie pitcher Cole Irvin. In his first career plate appearance since being called up from Triple-A last weekend, Irvin worked a two-out, 10-pitch walk with the Phillies trailing by two runs in the third inning. Andrew McCutchen followed with a two-run home run to square the score at 2-2.
It was a big hit for McCutchen, too, whose slump has been nearly as profound as Harper's. He hadn't gone deep since April 27 against the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park.
Jean Segura, meanwhile, continued his torrid hitting. Segura notched three more hits, giving him 13 hits in 34 at-bats over his last eight games. He also has 16 multihit games already this season despite missing time last month with a hamstring injury.
All of the Phillies' runs came with two outs. McCutchen's homer was followed in the fourth inning by back-to-back two-out doubles by J.T. Realmuto and Cesar Hernandez to open a 3-2 lead.
Irvin's second big league start was as much a curiosity as his first. Five days earlier in Kansas City, he shut down a Royals lineup that ranks as one of the worst in the American League in a ballpark that isn't conducive to offense. The Rockies _ and homer-friendly Citizens Bank Park _ surely would present stiffer tests.
And Irvin did struggle at times, particularly during a second inning in which he committed a pair of throwing errors that led to a run. He benefited from McCutchen throwing out a runner at the plate from left field in the third inning. The 79th of Irvin's 84 pitches got hit for a two-run homer by Ian Desmond, cutting back the Phillies' lead to 5-4.
But Irvin also got through six innings with a lead, which, ultimately, is what the Phillies ask of their starting pitchers, especially in a week when Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Arrieta and Zach Eflin all got roughed up by the Brewers.
