PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The first pitch Bryce Harper saw in the World Series at Citizens Bank Park went into the stands.
So did four other Houston Astros pitches delivered to four different Philadelphia Phillies batters, all in a 7-0 demolition of the Astros in Game 3 of the 2022 World Series.
Philadelphia now owns a 2-1 lead on Houston. With wins in Wednesday’s Game 4 and Thursday’s Game 5 at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies can earn - and celebrate - their third World Series title at home.
The last pitch Bryce Harper saw at Citizens Bank Park before Game 3 of the Fall Classic was a go-ahead eighth-inning NLCS home run nine days ago that put the Fightin’ Phils in the World Series.
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Harper had six home runs and 13 RBI after just the first at-bat of his 14th playoff game this postseason. Harper was 21-52 (.404) this postseason after the home run.
But that was just the beginning of the festival of long balls in South Philly Tuesday night.
One inning later, Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh took their turns.
Kyle Schwarber felt a little left-out at that point, so with a runner on in the fourth inning, he joined the party.
Rhys Hoskins completed the run of five homers by five different Phillies in the first five innings of the game.
In the meantime, starting pitcher Ranger Suárez dominated the Astros on the mound, not allowing a run in five innings.
And it all happened amidst a raucous atmosphere caused by devoted Philadelphia sports fans who are waiting for this team’s first World Series championship in 14 years.
Game 4, typically the most pivotal game of a seven-game playoff series, comes at 8:03 p.m. Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Aaron Nola, the Phillies’ Game 1 starting pitcher, is set to face Cristian Javier for the Astros.
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The Phillies would take a commanding 3-1 lead with a win in Game 4, but a Houston triumph would tie the series up at 2-2 and essentially create a three-game series.
If the Astros win at least one of the remaining two games in Philadelphia, Game 6 would happen Saturday night in Houston. A potential Game 7 would happen Sunday night on the road as well.
Two wins down, Phillies fans. Two more to go.