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Bryce Harper is famous for his temper on the baseball field, but he has made news for a different reason.
Harper delivered a moonshot off Max Scherzer in the first game of a double-header between the Philadelphia Phillies and their division rivals, the New York Mets on Mother's Day. Following that he said - "I love you mom" - to the camera.
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""I love you mom" Bryce Harper with the Mother's Day shoutout ♥️" - @ Yahoo Sports
The light-hearted moment came towards the end of the first inning of the game as reigning National League MVP Harper blasted the ball to right field. He then proceeded to express his love for his mother as he walked to the dugout.
"Bryce Harper trying to get the Phillies back on track 💣" - @ John Clark
The Phillies went on to win 3-2, and in the process handed Max Scherzer his first loss of the season. The Phillies improved their record to 12-15 on the season, while the Mets slumped to 19-10.
Bryce Harper and Philadelphia Phillies' 2022 season
The Phillies went all-in on big bats in the offseason. They signed Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to boost their already powerful batting order. In turn, they decided not to bolster their pitching crew and sacrifice their defense.
Philadelphia now sit in fourth place in the National League East with a record of 12-16. Their batting lineup is the sole factor why they're winning games, as they have a collective average of .253 with an OPS of .733 and sit in the top ten of almost all team batting metrics.
Their pitching, meanwhile, leaves much to be desired, as they have a collective ERA of 3.96. They have issued a .238 BA against opposing batters as they find themselves in the bottom ten of team pitching statistics.
The reigning two-time MVP Harper is off to a familiar start. He has a slash line of .259/.315/.509 with eight doubles, a triple, six homers and 19 RBIs on 29 base hits. He has also stolen four bases so far.
The expectation for the Phillies this season is to contend for the National League East crown but so far, that's not reflecting on their record. Philly would need to find a solution to their pitching and defensive woes if they want to even get a sniff of a wilcard berth, because at the moment, that is close to impossibility.
