ATLANTA -- Bryce Harper's record-setting home run trot on Saturday night could have been a nice addition to the Phillies-Braves rivalry.
Instead, it became a footnote in a loss that cost the Phillies a full game in the standings to three postseason contenders.
Harper smashed a solo home run to center field in the first inning of a 12-2 loss at Truist Park, which dropped the Phillies (82-67) six games behind the Braves (88-61) in the National League East and one game behind the Cubs (83-66) for the No. 1 NL Wild Card spot with 13 games to play. The Phils are only 1 1/2 games ahead of the Padres for the No. 2 NL Wild Card.
Harper took a cool 34.27 seconds to circle the bases in the first, according to Statcast. It was his longest trot on an undisputed homer since Statcast started tracking them in 2015. It was the Phillies’ longest trot on an undisputed homer in that span, too.
Yes, it was longer than Rhys Hoskins’ legendary 34.23-second trot against the Mets at Citi Field in 2019.
No doubt Harper took his time following Ronald Acuña Jr.’s 32.36-second stroll on Sunday in Philly.
But the good times didn’t last.
It wasn’t going to be easy anyway. The Phillies scratched Jesús Luzardo from Saturday night’s start because of a sore left shoulder. An MRI exam on Friday revealed no structural damage, only inflammation.
Luzardo and the Phillies hope he can pitch next week.
But it made Saturday a bullpen game. After Tim Mayza opened with three scoreless innings, Brooks Raley and Grant Holman allowed eight runs (three earned) in the fourth inning to make it 8-1. Acuña started the scoring in that eight-run frame with a solo home run.
It took him 31.57 seconds to round the bases, slightly faster than his Sunday trot in Philadelphia, which almost certainly stoked Harper’s idea to take his time in the first inning.