NL DIVISION SERIES: PHILLIES VS BRAVES

October 15, 2022

Bryce Harper

Brandon Marsh

Citizens Bank Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Postgame 4 Press Conference

Phillies - 8, Braves - 3

Q. Brandon, the three-run home run, the curtain call after, what was that moment like for you, just from the dugout?

BRANDON MARSH: That was a special moment. I don't think I've ever had a moment like that ever in my career. I'm going to cherish that one. But that was a good feeling, looking up at all the crowd. That was fun.

Q. Last two days, Rhys' moment, your moment, and then J.T.'s inside-the-parker, what have the last 24 hours been like for this team, and what can those individual moments do going forward?

BRANDON MARSH: The last 24 hours shows what we're made of. There's a lot of good going with this ballclub. We've just got to keep it going, keep our heads down and grind and just stay focused on the task at hand. The last 24 hours have been pretty fun.

Q. Bryce, how satisfying is it for you personally to get over the hump? You were obviously in the NLDS quite a few times, and this is the first time you're advancing?

BRYCE HARPER: I think as an organization, right, we haven't been here for a long time. And to be able to do this and do it with the group of guys that we have, and kind of where we started and now where we're at, I don't think any of us are shocked about where we are.

We're really excited about the opportunity ahead for us, and we've taken every opportunity and tried to go with that. And we're just all excited as a club and a group that we can go out to the West Coast and play whoever we do.

Q. Brandon, coming over here midseason, how long did it take you to realize how starved this city was for a winner and what does it feel like to be instrumental to helping the team advance?

BRANDON MARSH: First day being here, I saw how into it the crowd was. And I know how bad they want it, just as bad as we wanted it. We're all doing our best to play in front of a great city. Just showing out and keep helping us out.

Q. Bryce, as you came back from the thumb, how tough was that to play through it getting better, and did you find it in this series finally?

BRYCE HARPER: I just tried to really come in each day and just try to put my best foot forward. Not really think about how I'm feeling the day before or that day, if I'm good or bad. I'm just trying to have the best at-bats I can and put the bat to the ball as much as possible, not miss the pitches in the zone and try to lay off the ones out of the zone, trying to make it as simple as possible and do that for the next two weeks, hopefully.

Q. Bryce, when you signed here, was a day like today what you pictured in your mind's eye?

BRYCE HARPER: I think that's always been the goal, to get to where we are right now, But to get even further than that. This is step two in what we've been through. Step one being the wild card; this being step two and then we've got two more.

So the plan all along was to come here try to win. And to have an owner like John Middleton that wants to win as well -- and Dombrowski and Sam Fuld and Topper, everybody, everybody has the same mindset going into each day.

We have the group right now to do that. I think we're all excited for that opportunity to get to where we need to be and eight more.

Q. I Know you have bigger games and goals ahead, but the feeling in the ballpark, in the city, the last two days, that's kind of what I was referring to. Is that what you envisioned?

BRYCE HARPER: Yes. When I think back 2015, '16, '17, '18, all the way through, Jayson Werth said, there's nothing like Philly when it's winning. It's what it's all about.

When you see the alumni coming back and they all talk about it, from the '80 and '93 team, they talk about what this city does and how they get behind you, how fiery and passionate they are. I think every single night we see that. For them to come out the last two days it's so much fun.

I said it yesterday, it was whoa, this is incredible, it's insane, it's electric. We have the best fans in baseball. I've never heard a stadium louder than that. It's incredible to see.

I'm excited for the opportunity to do this. And hopefully Friday we get back. I know it's going to be jamming again and it's going to be rocking and hopefully we're right where we need to be.

Q. This team was 21-29 at one time. What's changed between then and now?

BRYCE HARPER: I just think as a club and as a group we're consistent in what we do. We're consistent in our mindset. We're consistent in our ability to play each day. Our starting pitching has been incredible. You can sit back and say how good our starting pitching has been. Our bullpen has been electric as well, with Alvarado and Ser. Eflin coming back doing what he's doing.

Schwarber carried us for a couple of weeks. Same thing with J.T. in that second half.

You can go on and on about each guy. But we're all a team. We're all a group. We all know that if one guy doesn't get it done, the next guy will. Just like this guy today. Who would have thought it, right, at the All-Star break that we get Brandon Marsh and he comes over here and hits a three-run shot. It's incredible. It's incredible.

Just the rookies that we have, the things that they're doing in this game, from Bryson Stott to him to Vierling, we call it our daycare. They've carried us too.

It takes nine guys on the field to win each day. I'm so excited to be part of this opportunity and be part of this team and I look forward to many more.

Q. Bryce, most of us in this room haven't been through the feeling of going through those last three outs. Can you describe how you felt as it got to the final out in that final inning?

BRYCE HARPER: I think to myself, I'm not shocked. Seranthony came in, just doing his job. We had all the faith in Syndergaard to start today. I told him that right before he went out. I said, we have all the faith in your ability to go out and do this for us as long as you can. You're going to be great today.

Same thing with Ser. When Ser was on the mound, I said the same thing. You're the best, I kept saying you're the best. There's nobody better.

Because I have belief in my guys and everything that they do in there. And I'm just so, like I said, excited for that opportunity and we're all in this together. From the fan base to ownership, to everybody inside that clubhouse. We're all in this together. And I'm excited for that next opportunity.

Q. You developed a real special connection with the fans here and the community. Just how did that happen? How did that come about?

BRYCE HARPER: It's easy when they're that good. Being able to come into a town that I feel like I'm with them. I feel like they're with us each day. I feel I'm hand in hand with them. The same thing with -- vice versa.

When you want to play hard, when you want to be in a city, when you want to be a factor in a city, that's all they want to see, they just want you to play hard. That's it. They want you to go out there bust your ass each day. No excuses, good or bad. They don't care. They just want you to keep doing it.

And I love that mindset. My dad used to say the same thing when I was growing up. Same thing to me. It don't matter. Next day, next day, next day, keep going, keep going, enjoy it, keep going. And that's how the city is.

They work hard for everything they have. And I'm getting chills because it fires me up, man. It makes me want to win that much more. And when they show out for us like that it makes our team that much better. And there was 46,000 people in this stadium, plus 26 on the field. We're all together.

It's a lot of fun to be a part of it. I can't wait until Friday night when we get back. Of course we're not going to look ahead. We'll take care of business on the West Coast and come home and hopefully have that same opportunity to do this again.