Phillies superstar makes young fan’s day after career milestone night

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper could do no wrong in Tuesday's 9-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Harper blasted three home runs and drove in a career-high six RBI in a rain-drenched affair that also saw the former two-time National League MVP record his 1,000th career run scored. Harper has always had a flair for the dramatic, and Tuesday night's game was no exception.

It's hard to argue that anyone could possibly have had a better night than Harper, but according to a social media post by 94.1 WIP radio host Al Morganti, a fan who caught Harper's record-setting home run ball, gave the milestone ball to a young fan named Dylan Silkowski so he could meet Harper after the game and return to the ball.

In exchange for the milestone baseball, Harper met Silkowski and a small group of children on the field after the game and presented the luckiest kid on the planet with a freshly signed baseball in addition to a one-on-one photo. This wholesome moment between the Phillies superstar and the young fan is the latest reminder that Harper is a Philadelphia athlete who understands the responsibility that comes with being the face of an organization.

Bryce Harper's bat is starting to come around after a slow start

Prior to Tuesday's breakout performance, Bryce Harper was off to a slow start to the 2024 season. Hitless through his first four games, some skeptics were beginning to wonder if the back stiffness that kept Harper out of a number of games late in spring training was affecting his swing at the plate.

It also didn't help that Harper took a concerning tumble into a camera well in an attempt to field a foul against the Atlanta Braves last weekend. His 0-for-11 start certainly raised eyebrows. But Harper's performance at the plate during the last two games has seemed to calm fans' nerves, as Harper is now 4 for his last 8, with three home runs and six RBI. Seeing Harper finally locked in at the plate is a welcome sight, as the Phillies will travel to face his former team, the Washington Nationals, in a three-game weekend series that starts on Friday.

The Phillies will try to win their first series of the 2024 season when they face a 2-4 Nationals team that is still in the early stages of a rebuild. The Phillies will send Aaron Nola to the hill on Friday, with left-hander Patrick Corbin toeing the rubber for the Nationals. Nola will be looking to secure his first win of the season after a shaky first outing, with the first pitch slated for 6:45 p.m. ET.