Major League Baseball

It's personal: Bryce Harper's two homers lift Phillies to 2-1 series lead over Braves

Updated Oct. 13, 2023 6:51 p.m. ET

PHILADELPHIA — The look said it all.

The quick turn of the head. The brief stare. The flash of recognition and no more.

As the Phillies superstar rounded second base after obliterating a go-ahead, three-run home run Wednesday, he granted Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia a sliver of time, a shred of attention. And when Harper homered again two innings later, he offered Arcia the same treatment.

Two days before, in the Braves locker room after Atlanta's NLDS Game 2 comeback victory ended on Harper's baserunning backfire, Arcia was overheard by FOX Sports mocking the Phillies slugger.

"Ha-ha, atta-boy, Harper!" Arcia shouted over and over again between laughs. "Atta-boy, Harper!"

Harper responded as he so often does — with his play, not his mouth — and delivered a Game 3 performance that the 45,798 in attendance and countless more watching on TV will not soon forget. The Phillies' 10-2 drubbing featured six homers yet was punctuated by two magnificent blasts from Harper: the first a moonshot to the upper deck in right field in the third inning, the second a heat-seeking laser-beam to dead center in the fifth.

Did Harper enjoy eyeballing Arcia after each bomb?

"Yeah, I stared right at him," Harper said afterward.

Did Arcia's comments give Harper extra motivation?

"I mean, anytime anybody says something, right?" Harper said. "I mean, that's what it's all about."

Harper is not typically a man who requires further motivation. Since debuting in 2012, he has played with an unmistakable urgency, a man firmly in control of the moment. One comment from Orlando Arcia did not, by itself, unleash the wrath of baseball’s most cold-blooded force.

Arcia, who did not deny his Harper wisecrack in a postgame media scrum, also told reporters that he wasn’t sure whether his remark fueled Harper.

"I don’t know what he’s thinking," Arcia said.

A lot else happened in Game 3 of a tied NLDS that got lost in the shuffle of Harper vs. Arcia. Nick Castellanos smashed his first two postseason home runs as a Phillie. Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh added solo shots. Aaron Nola, in perhaps one of his final starts with the club, delivered 5 2/3 strong innings, allowing just two runs and striking out nine.

The Phillies played their most complete game of the playoffs, giving themselves the opportunity to close out the 104-win Braves series at home on Thursday night and return to the NLCS.

Nick Castellanos hits TWO homers to help Phillies defeat Braves in Game 3

But as is often the case, Harper was the story Wednesday.

And this time, Arcia, of all people, a solid big-league shortstop with a career 79 OPS+, was his foil. His comment mushroomed into a full-blown storyline ahead of Game 3, with both Marsh and Phillies manager Rob Thomson being asked about it during their media availability.

Harper and Castellanos entered the stadium Wednesday sporting gear that paid homage to Deion Sanders, which many perceived as a nod to the University of Colorado coach's recent slogan: "It’s personal." While their fashion choices were then posted on the Phillies' own X (formerly Twitter) account, Harper noted after the game that he’d purchased the "Prime" apparel weeks ago and denied it having anything to do with Arcia's comment.

"I was driving to the field, and I went, ‘Oh, no.’ He [Sanders] actually played for Atlanta." Harper said. "But, no, there was nothing behind it or anything like that."

The fervor from the stands, however, was very real.

One fan behind the visitors' dugout displayed a sign with Arcia's postseason stat line through two games (seven at-bats, .143 average, 0 home runs, 0 RBIs) accompanied by the phrase, "Atta boy Arcia." A sold-out crowd at Citizens Bank Park greeted the Braves shortstop with more boos than typical for someone batting eighth. When Arcia struck out swinging to end the second, the Phillies faithful responded with a particularly enthusiastic cheer.

Phillies power their way to Game 3 win behind Bryce Harper's bat

The defining moment, of course, was Harper’s first blast.

Things actually started shaky for the Phillies, as Atlanta scored first on an early Ozzie Albies RBI single. Castellanos responded with a solo blast to lead off the third. Five batters later, it was Harper's turn.

With two on and two out, and Bryce Elder behind in the count 2-1, the Braves starter served Harper a down-the-middle cement-mixer slider. The Phillies talisman simply did not miss. It was one of those Harper home runs that leaves no room for suspense. The destination is known immediately upon contact. Harper has proved time and time again that these are the moments he craves, the moments he built himself for.

"I don't think that guy needs any fuel," Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs told FOX Sports afterward. "He does it in the regular season. He did it in the postseason last year. That’s why he’s called the showman."

Jake Mintz, the louder half of @CespedesBBQ is a baseball writer for FOX Sports. He played college baseball, poorly at first, then very well, very briefly. Jake lives in New York City where he coaches Little League and rides his bike, sometimes at the same time. Follow him on Twitter at @Jake_Mintz.