PHILADELPHIA _ The fans who gathered Saturday afternoon beyond the center-field wall to stand and watch a 2-1 win over the Rockies began to scatter when they realized that the howling baseball was heading their way.
Bryce Harper didn't just hit a home run in the bottom of the first inning _ he hammered it. Harper's 466-foot drive left his bat at 114.1 mph, rocketing more than 10 mph faster than this season's average home run. He crushed the first-pitch fastball, held his bat, and watched it scream over center field before losing sight of the ball when it cleared the brick-walled batter's eye.
The baseball finally landed in Ashburn Alley, as the fans who had scattered for safety scrambled for it.
It was a perfect way to start the afternoon, and it could be a sign that Harper's slump is ending. The right fielder doubled in the seventh inning for his first multihit game since May 7 and his second in 26 games. He has four extra-base hits in his last 15 at-bats, after having just four in his previous 52. Harper, after a rough month, might be heating up.
The Phillies, if they are to reach the heights they hope to, will need Harper's bat. And they will need Aaron Nola, who tied his career-high with 12 strikeouts before leaving in the seventh inning. It was Nola's most impressive start of the season.
Nola's 12th strikeout came on a curveball to Brendan Rodgers for the third out of the sixth inning. It was Nola's 99th pitch, and manager Gabe Kapler met him in the dugout to see whether the pitcher could go one more inning. Nola nodded his head, but it proved to be too much.
Catcher Tony Wolters tripled off the right-field wall, and Ryan McMahon doubled off the wall in right-center. Nola had finally cracked. But the bullpen took over, as Adam Morgan, Seranthony Dominguez, and Hector Neris combined for the final nine outs.
Nola dazzled a challenging Rockies lineup, mastering them with a mixture of fastballs and curveballs that produced weak contact before the seventh inning. His curveball had its signature movement, and his fastball had command. He struck out the first three batters looking; Nola made them look foolish.
He faced his first threat in the fourth inning, when the Rockies out runners on first and third with two outs. Second baseman Brendan Rodgers worked a full count, and catcher J.T. Realmuto showed trust in his pitcher. There was no room for error, and Realmuto called for Nola's curveball. He spun a perfect one, Rodgers swung through it, and the threat was over.
It wasn't a perfect day for Nola, but it was a pretty good one. For the Phillies, that's all they needed.
