Harper Plays Coy About Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Vows to Lead Phillies Back from Deficit

With the Phillies on the brink of elimination in the NLDS, Bryce Harper joined his team at the Dodgers’ stadium for the pregame media session. When questioned about his thoughts on Dodgers’ third game starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Harper surprisingly responded with a smile, “I don’t recall previous encounters, my apologies.”

Harper, a two-time NL MVP, played 132 games this season, hitting 27 home runs with a .284 batting average and an OPS of .844, but struggled in the first two series games with just 1 hit in 7 at-bats. In fact, on April 4th at home, he faced Yamamoto with 2 at-bats, no hits, one strikeout, and one walk, yet Harper said he “has no memory” of it: “I don’t even know if I faced him; I really don’t remember.”

Although some think he was dodging the question, Harper stressed that the team must win two straight games to bring the series back to Philadelphia: “We have to win on the road and then head back to Citizens Bank Park for Game 5.” If it comes to a fifth game, the Dodgers are expected to start Shohei Ohtani.

The Phillies’ disappointing performance in the first two home games was notable. In Game 1, they lost a lead after Teoscar Hernández hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the 7th inning; in Game 2, despite scoring two runs in the 9th to narrow the gap to 3-4 and creating a one-out, runners on first and third opportunity, they ultimately failed to tie the game.

The slump of the top three hitters was a key factor: Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Harper combined for only 2 hits in 21 at-bats with 11 strikeouts. Both hits were singles, resulting in just 3 hits in 14 at-bats with runners in scoring position, limiting their threat.

The home crowd’s frustration was evident in the boos echoing through the stadium. Harper joked about it: “I love our fans, and when I get out, I boo myself along with them.”

Game 3 will be held at Dodger Stadium, with the opponent’s starter being the in-form Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Harper said, “Maybe tomorrow I’ll get booed even harder.”

When asked if changing venues might make a difference, Harper was dismissive: “We have the best fans in the league; they make us better. I enjoy that atmosphere. They spend their hard-earned money to watch us play and want to see us achieve greatness, and we share those same hopes.”

Outfielder Nick Castellanos, who hit a two-RBI single in the 9th inning of Game 2 giving the Phillies hope, shared similar thoughts: “When we’re in rhythm, the game feels easy; when we’re not, we have to push against the wind. The game can go for us or against us, but we just have to keep fighting.”

Harper laughed, saying he might actually prefer the weather in Los Angeles—the sunny California climate is similar to his hometown, Las Vegas. He also hopes his fourth child, born just last week, will be his lucky charm: “I really miss them right now,” Harper said.