Phillies: Each of Bryce Harper’s clutch, walk-off career hits

August 15, 2019; Phillies (7) vs. Cubs (5)

• Box score
• Walk-off home run (grand slam)

Entering the game, the Phillies were four games over .500 and in the thick of the Wild Card race under then-manager Gabe Kapler.

With Phillies southpaw starting pitcher Drew Smyly on the mound, however, the Chicago Cubs were able to do some damage and grab a five-run lead entering the bottom of the eighth.

Through that point, the Phillies offense was not able to solve Yu Darvish, who tossed seven scoreless innings and allowed only four hits while striking out 10 batters. They tacked on their first run with a Corey Dickerson RBI single in the eighth, but it was the ninth that would result in perhaps the most memorable game of Harper’s Phillies tenure so far.

Brad Miller and Roman Quinn each notched RBI singles to shrink the Phillies deficit to two runs. Then, after Rhys Hoskins was hit by a pitch to load the bases with only one out, Harper came to the plate and the rest was history.

Harper’s walk-off grand slam was the first such hit by a Phillie since John Mayberry Jr. in 2013 and only the 14th such hit in franchise history.

Also, Harper joined Bo Diaz (April 13, 1983 vs. Mets) as the only players in Phillies history to hit a walk-off grand slam after his team trailed by four or more runs in the ninth inning (Harper’s slam was the first hit by a Phillie while while trailing since Ozzie Virgil on September 2, 1983).