Pittsburgh, May 16, 2026, 17:06 EDT
- Bryce Harper launched his 11th homer of the year—a three-run shot off Bubba Chandler in the opening frame Saturday—getting Philadelphia out front early against Pittsburgh.
- One night after Harper racked up four hits and the Phillies stormed back from six runs down for an 11-9, 10-inning victory, the momentum swung again.
- That win extended Philadelphia’s resurgence under interim skipper Don Mattingly—the team rolled into Saturday playing 13-4 ball since Mattingly stepped in.
Bryce Harper wasted no time Saturday, launching a three-run shot in the opening inning off the Pittsburgh Pirates. The blast put the Phillies ahead 3-0 and shoved Harper’s bat right back into the spotlight after an up-and-down April. MLB tallied it as his 11th home run this season.
This wasn’t just about one at-bat. The Phillies, now 22-23 and still below .500, have been making up lost ground—13 wins in their last 17 games with interim manager Don Mattingly at the helm. Harper? He’s been hot, batting 14-for-38, with four homers and seven RBIs in his last 10 games.
The homer seemed to put an end to the lingering narrative this week. Earlier, The Sporting News pointed out that Harper had collected 373 home runs—just one shy of tying Rocky Colavito’s 374. ESPN’s Jeff Kerr had called Colavito “next up” for Harper on the all-time list. Sporting News
Philadelphia kept pressing after Harper. In the second, Kyle Schwarber drilled a two-run double, stretching the margin to 5-0. Schwarber—coming off a two-homer night Friday—started Saturday sitting atop the majors with 20 home runs.
Friday night, the Phillies made their move. Harper finished with four hits—one of them a two-run single that tied it in the ninth. Then Brandon Marsh doubled in the winning run in the 10th, capping an 11-9 victory over Pittsburgh.
“I just never feel like we’re out of it or down,” Harper told NBC Sports Philadelphia following Friday’s rally. Schwarber, convinced Harper’s ninth-inning drive was gone, said, “I thought it was a grand slam.” NBC Sports Philadelphia
Early in the week, the talk was about whether Harper could overtake Colavito as the Red Sox series got underway—especially with ex-Phillies lefty Ranger Suárez on the mound. On Thursday, Suárez handled his assignment, stretching his scoreless run to 19 innings. Philadelphia eventually pushed ahead, pulling off a 3-1 win in Boston.
Harper started heating up even before the Pittsburgh series. After missing some time with a migraine, he came back last Sunday and belted his 10th homer of the season in a 6-0 shutout against Colorado, teaming up with Schwarber for back-to-back shots in the opening inning, FantasyPros said.
Still, nothing’s settled in these races. The Phillies started Saturday holding second in the NL East. Pittsburgh, 24-21, slotted in at fourth over in the NL Central. For Philadelphia, Atlanta’s the target that’s still out in front.
The rebound has its cracks. Aaron Nola gave up six runs on six hits across just 3 2/3 innings Friday, forcing the Phillies to claw back yet again with a late rally. The rotation leaving the lineup to play catch-up remains a serious concern—even with Harper and Schwarber carrying the offense like this.
The bats are stalling for now. Mattingly described Schwarber as “dangerous all the time.” That label is sticking to Harper too, with Philadelphia hoping to claw out of a shaky start and make things interesting. CBS News
