Sep 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber (12) reacts with first base Bryce Harper (21) in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez
LOS ANGELES - Even though Bryce Harper has a flair for the dramatic, he doesn't often show a ton of emotion on his biggest hits.
Sure, there was that grand slam against the Cubs in his first season with the Phillies. And there've been a few others, but think about it, in his biggest hits, he's often let the magnitude of the moment be the drama.
Bedlam at the Bank. The two homers against Atlanta in which he just stared at Orlando Arcia. His actions were subdued, even if the moments called for an outward expression.
Then came Monday.
Harper crushed a solo homer off of Los Angeles Dodgers lefty reliever Alex Vesia in the top of the eighth inning in a seesaw battle of two of the game's biggest heavyweights. and as Harper turned first and realized the ball left the yard, he let the adrenaline building within him out. A strenuous fist pump. A hard clap of the hands followed between second and third. A few more demonstrative and rapid claps as he crossed the plate. A leaping high five with J.T. Realmuto and then a mugging by his teammates on the bench.
Playoff Bryce Harper is defrosting👀🥶
(via @TalkinBaseball_) pic.twitter.com/50paoriRsI
This one meant a little more.
It wasn't the game-winning home run - the Dodgers tied it and the Phillies won in extras on a sacrifice fly by J.T. Realmuto and a tight rope walk of a save by David Robertson in the bottom of the 10th - but the 6-5 victory by the Phillies locked up the N.L. East for the second consecutive season and 13th time overall. The Phillies also reached the 90-win plateau, built their lead over the Dodgers to 5 1/2 games for a first round bye, and closed to within 1 1/2 games of the Milwaukee Brewers for the No. 1 seed and homefield throughout the playoffs.
To do that, they had to win a heavyweight fight with Los Angeles with both teams throwing haymakers all night long.
The back and forth between the teams all started in the first inning when Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run, his 53rd of the season, moving within one of Seattle's Cal Raleigh for the Major League lead.
53 home runs for Kyle Schwarber 😤 pic.twitter.com/9pzWXj1s3O
Schwarber tied the Major League record for home runs in a season by a left-handed hitter off of left-handed pitchers. It was his 22nd this season, tying Matt Olson and Stan Musial.
And there's also this...
Kyle Schwarber is the first Phillie (since RBI became a stat) to have 100 RBIs, 100 Runs, and 100 Walks in 3 straight seasons!! pic.twitter.com/4SJhkgpYb4
The Dodgers roared back. Mookie Betts hit a pair of sacrifice flies off of Phillies starter Ranger Suarez and Max Muncy homered, giving the Dodgers a 3-1 lead.
All the while, the Phillies bats went silent as they couldn't get a hit off of Emmett Sheehan, the scheduled starter, who entered the game with one out in the first inning after the Dodgers decided to unsuccessfully use a lefty opener, Anthony Banda, to start the game.
Sheehan didn't allow a hit until Otto Kemp chased him form the game with a double to lead off the seventh.
Two batters later, Bryson Stott stepped up to the plate....
BRYSON STOTT RBI SINGLE!! pic.twitter.com/Hfhvt6HCzM
Stott has at least one hit in 15 of his last 16 games and is hitting .370 in that span. Before anyone even had time to look that up, Weston Wilson happened:
West Coast Wilson just gave the Phillies the lead! pic.twitter.com/pq0zBz9Y6x
But then Betts hit a homer off of Orion Kerkering to tie it.
After Haprer's homer, in came Jhoan Duran to close it out. He struck out Max Muncy to start the inning but then gave up a bomb of a homer to Andy Pages. It was the first homer he had given up as a Phillie and only the second this season. Ironically, the other home run he allowed came on July 22 as a member of the Minnesota Twins... at Dodger Stadium.
With Harrison Bader starting the top of the 10th inning on second base as the zombie runner, Schwarber lined out to second base. Harper was then walked intentionally, and he and Bader proceeded to complete a double steal putting them both in scoring position. J.T. Realmuto delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Bader to give the Phillies a 6-5 lead.
J.T. puts the Phils up in extras! pic.twitter.com/IWgQCldfXE
While it took David Robertson loading the bases in the bottom of the 10th — granted, one of those runs was the zombie runner — he ultimately locked the game down with a ground ball out by Max Muncy to ... Harper that sealed the second consecutive NL East title for the Phillies.
The moment the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the NL East: pic.twitter.com/EA5Su4HAB1
Whether they are able to get over the hump and finally win a World Series will ultimately determine how this season is remembered. But winning a second straight division title is nothing to scoff at, and Harper and the Phillies won an instant-classic to lock it down.
