NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: PHILLIES VS PADRES

October 22, 2022

Bryce Harper

Citizens Bank Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Postgame 4 Press Conference

Phillies - 10, Padres - 6

Q. Bryce, you guys seem to be fueled by Rhys Hoskins tonight. Can you also address what the 1 through 5 hitters did on a night where you guys really needed to come through?

BRYCE HARPER: Of course we go down 4-0 there in the first. I don't think there was any panic or any opportunity to think about it. It was just like, all right, we've got to get the job done. We've got to keep going.

We knew our offense was probably going to have to show up tonight to the best of its ability, so we were able to do that.

From pitch 1 with Schwarber getting on base and then Rhys hit the homer, J.T. getting on base, double, and then good things will happen.

I just thought every opportunity we had, we were able to come through and do what we needed to do tonight. I just thought all around we did a great job of just having good at-bats and not missing pitches over the plate and doing the best we could to keep that baton going.

Q. Bryce, do you feel like that second double was maybe the biggest hit of your career?

BRYCE HARPER: I don't know. I don't even think about it. I just try to go up there and have the best at-bats I can and the ability to just go up there and not miss pitches and just do what I can to help us win.

Q. Is there something full circle about the fact that Jayson Werth is here this weekend throwing out the first pitch tomorrow as you're having all this success in October with the Phillies?

BRYCE HARPER: No. I don't know.

Q. You said this is your house when you were on second base. Just what does your house sound like when you're standing there?

BRYCE HARPER: I hope it sounds like that, right? Just the opportunity to have it, man. I was so excited just being able to -- you know, I said it the other day, however many fans we had in there last night -- I don't know what the number was, 46,000, give or take. 46,000 with 26 of them on the field, just having all of us together in that moment, just so much fun.

Just the opportunity to do that and we're all in this, and just the whole city of Philadelphia and all the Phillies in the organization. The fans have showed out for us each night. It was rocking again tonight. Just so much fun. So much fun.

Q. This is what you came here for. I know it's not done yet, but you're having historically the best postseason by a Phillies player. Obviously, you guys are a win away from the World Series. Just what has this month been like?

BRYCE HARPER: Just to be able to have the opportunity with this whole team, with the guys that we do have, with our staff, with pitchers, hitters, everything. It's just a lot of fun to be able to be part of this group. It's a lot of fun to be able to come to the park every day knowing our fans are going to show out each night.

Like you said, the job's not done. We have a lot ahead of us. We have a really tough matchup tomorrow with Yu. We're excited for that matchup. We're excited for the opportunity, and just ready to get back tomorrow ready to go.

Q. Ten days ago Rob was fielding questions about potentially moving Rhys and Kyle down in the lineup and they've been in the center of almost everything.

BRYCE HARPER: I guess I'll thank Wawa for the Schwarber thing, SchwarberFest.

I think our manager has a really good ability to keep things going, to keep things going the right way. Never panics, never really sits there and thinks, oh, I need to move this guy or I need to move this guy.

I feel like he believes in his players. I think when you have a manager like that that believes in you and has an organization that believes in you, it just makes you that much better of a player.

I think there's no panic in that moment. We know those two guys are going to have opportunities at the top of the lineup to do damage. Rhys had two huge at-bats for us tonight. Schwarber had a great night as well. I think just all the way through.

Like I said, our manager doesn't panic, and I think that really rubs off on our players and everybody inside the clubhouse.

Q. Bryce, you guys, you're one win away from going to the World Series. You got your ace; Alvarado and Seranthony are available tomorrow, big crowd. Will you sleep tonight? How excited are you to see thousand this transpires tomorrow?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, I think we're all just excited for the opportunity. I know I keep saying kind of the same thing, but we're all just so grateful for the opportunity to be here.

I don't think any of us are in shock, but to stand here and say that we're grateful and understand that this opportunity is huge. We're one of the last teams playing right now, and it's really cool to see that. When you look at the scoreboard and you see two more, and you look at the scoreboard and nobody's playing that day, just you, you're grateful for the opportunity to be here.

I think all of us -- or myself, I wake up, and I'm just excited. I'm excited, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to come to the ballpark each day. I'm grateful for these fans, them showing out for us and how cool it is, how much fun it is.

I think it took us too long to put Kelce there on the board in the eighth and ninth inning. This place loves him. I know I keep saying this, but just the opportunity to do this this time of year, in October.

I'm so excited for tomorrow. I'm going to kiss my son tonight, kiss my daughter good night tonight. Hopefully Brooklyn can sleep through the night tonight, and we can get going tomorrow.

Q. How does this feel? Does it feel like one of the better stretches of your career?

BRYCE HARPER: I just want to keep going, that's it. Early and often. Try to do the best I can to represent the Phillies on my chest. That's all that matters.

Q. Of all of you guys, Rhys probably got the worst reception tonight from those fans, and he's had a couple errors, had a misplay, batting .135 coming in. You called him the captain. Why did you call him the captain, and how good do you feel for him in this moment?

BRYCE HARPER: He's been around longer than all of us, I feel, right? Him and Noles. He comes prepared to play each day. He comes prepared to be the best player he can each day, no matter if he's bad the day before or in that moment in the sixth inning or seventh inning -- I'm just naming innings -- if he makes an error or has a bad at-bat, it doesn't matter. He just keeps going and keeps going.

We believe in him. We all believe in what he can do. We know how our fans are. We love that about them. They're going to let you know. It is what it is.

Then he comes back and has an incredible night tonight. It is what it is. Two huge ABs for us, and in those moments, we needed those. Our fan base knows it, and that's why we love them. They're going to boo you when you're bad. I totally understand it. I get it. And they're going to love you when you're really good.

I mean, I know he was probably booing himself too, just like I was yesterday when I got in a double play. I absolutely love that about them. They show out for us each night, and they get it.

Q. When you signed here in 2019, what were your expectations for contending?

BRYCE HARPER: This, right? Anywhere you sign, you want the opportunity to get into the postseason, play late into account. I've talked to Jim about it and Matt and everybody, and I said it in my first Spring Training. It's going to take us a couple years to get there, right? It's going to take us a couple years to build this thing. It's going to take a couple years to understand what our identity is and who we are and what we can do.

I believe our team is built for October, I really do. I think we have three starters that are really, really good, and I think we have a great bullpen. Eighth and ninth inning, those two guys down there can go two innings plus for us. Just our lineup 1 through 9. I think our young guys have been really good for us this year. They stepped up, and our veterans as well.

This is what we play for. This is what you work for each off-season and going into Spring Training, this is what you want to do.

Our organization, they believe in us, and they want us to do this each year. I think Mr. Middleton has done a great job of bringing the pieces in we've needed. If that's Dombrowsk or Sam or anybody else. They believe in us and we believe in them as well to make us great and to give us every opportunity to be great, and we owe that to them.

Q. Does the delayed gratification make it at all sweeter to put in some years that maybe didn't end the way you wanted them to?

BRYCE HARPER: No, I mean, I want to win every year. I wish it would have happened in '19, right?