"Two balls, two strikes to Bryce Harper. Suárez delivers...swing and a drive, left field. It's deep; it's going. And it's gone! It is Bedlam at the Bank as Bryce Harper has put the Phillies on top."
It was the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, with the Phillies seeking a win, just six outs away from either needing a Game 6 for the franchise's first World Series appearance since 2009.
Bedlam at the Bank pic.twitter.com/JwpdNhas9Z
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 24, 2022
In a freezing late-October rain that chilled fans and players alike, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto warmed up the crowd of over 45,000 with a lead-off single at the bottom of the eighth. With one man on and none out, Phillies cleanup hitter Bryce Harper stepped to the box.
Reliving "Bedlam at the Bank" and the moment that sent the Phillies to the 2022 World Series
With Josh Hader warming up in the 'pen, San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin stayed with righty Robert Suárez, opting against the platoon advantage. Harper saw his first pitch, a blistering 96 mph fastball; he swung and missed. Pitch two, a 97 mph heater crossed above the zone for ball one. Suárez delivered his third pitch: a 98 mph fastball on the outer half that Harper fouled off just down the third-base line.
Pitch four was a 100 mph fastball, out of the zone this time, and Harper fouled it off again. The fifth pitch, another heater, was low and outside, and Harper fouled it off down the left side for a third time. Suárez finally caved: he threw a changeup in the exact same spot, and Harper didn't bite on the offering, 2-2. With the freezing rain still falling, everyone in the stadium, from fans in the 400-level to Harper and Suárez himself, was on edge.
Suárez threw the seventh pitch of the at-bat, a 99 mph fastball that seemed to float to the outer half of the plate, just what the Phillie slugger was waiting for. He trusted his mechanics, shifted his weight, and kept his hands even through the heart of the zone to connect with the four-seamer like it was set up on a tee just for him, creating one of the most iconic moments in Citizens Bank Park history.
Legendary moment, legendary call by Scott Franzke pic.twitter.com/j3brBvPl10
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) October 23, 2022
Exploding off his bat at 102 mph with a 24-degree launch angle, the ball sailed through the October mist and over the wall into the left field stands. Unsure if it had the distance to reach the stands, Harper didn't celebrate immediately, but after taking about three steps down the baseline, he couldn't see the ball anymore; he could feel the weight of his last hit as he rounded the bases.
The stadium erupted. A sea of red rally towels waved, and the crowd was cheering so loudly that, according to former first baseman Rhys Hoskins, he "couldn't even hear [his] own thoughts." The ear-splitting cheers rang throughout the stadium, while this generation's voice of Phillies radio gave fans at home a thrill during the call as he cemented himself in broadcast history.
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