Harper responded with two home runs in a Game 3 blowout by Philadelphia on Wednesday, stare down Arcia both times. Check it out here.
Bryce Harper : Stare down | Orlando Arcia | Atta boy
Bryce Harper did not need the extra motivation, but his teammates were thrilled to offer it to him. When he got to work today, there they all were, telling him one after another that Atlanta shortstop Orlando Arcia had taunted him after Game 2 of the National League Division Series, which ended when Harper was thrown out on the bases in a wild 8-5-3 double play.
“They looked at me,” Harper said, “and they were like, ‘What are you going to do?’”
What he did was crush two home runs, one to give the Phillies the lead and the other to put the game out of reach, as Philadelphia won Game 3, 10–2, to take a 2–1 lead in the best-of-five NLDS.
What he did was stare at Arcia as he rounded second both time and what he did was provide the Phillies with another signature moment in a postseason career full of them.
Sometimes Harper turns the brightness up himself. He likes to listen to local sports radio to learn what fans think of him. If he had ignored Arcia’s words, fans and media alike would have forgotten about them by Game 4. Harper created this story line.
Bryce Harper stare down
Bryce Harper gave the Phillies a lead over the Braves in the third inning of Game 3 of the NLDS on Wednesday night, unloading a massive three-run homer off Bryce Elder to make it a 4-1 game.
While trotting around the bases after parking the ball in the upper deck in right field, Harper took a moment to stare down Atlanta’s shortstop Orlando Arcia.
When Harper rounded second base and jogged past Arcia, his gaze appeared to fixate on the shortstop for a few moments.
The incident comes after Harper’s game-ending base-running gaffe in Game 2. A report from Fox Sports’s Jake Mintz indicated that Arcia was mocking Harper while celebrating the victory in the Braves’ clubhouse after the win.
Harper’s response on Wednesday suggests he heard the comments from Arcia, and he appeared to savor the moment as he jogged on by after breaking open Game 3 with one swing of his bat.
As if he wasn’t clear enough about the stare down during his first trip around the bases, Harper hit a second home run during the fifth inning, once again gawking at Arcia while he crossed the bag.
With two home runs under his belt in Game 3, it’s safe to say Harper got the last laugh in this unspoken feud.
Bryce Harper Orlando Arcia
Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia told reporters that his post-Game 2 comments regarding Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper were not meant to leave the clubhouse.
Spencer McKercher of NBC Sports Philadelphia relayed the remarks
Game 2 of Atlanta and Philadelphia’s National League Championship Series ended in dramatic fashion on Monday after the Braves doubled Harper off first base. A leaping Michael Harris center field catch and a subsequent relay finished the 5-4 Atlanta victory.
Fox Sports’ Jake Mintz soon captured the scene in the Braves’ postgame locker room, and he reported on Arcia’s remarks in particular: “…Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia cackled emphatically about Harper’s misfortune, bellowing ‘ha-ha, atta-boy, Harper!’ repeatedly as reporters circled the room.”
Atlanta didn’t have much to laugh about Wednesday as Harper smacked two of the Phillies’ six home runs in a 10-2 home win, giving Philadelphia a 2-1 edge in the best-of-five series. Harper notably stared down Arcia as he rounded second base each time.
After Wednesday, Harper has five hits in 11 at-bats against the Braves in this year’s NLDS, including three home runs, three runs and five RBI.
Philadelphia will now look to close out the NLDS at home on Thursday evening. An Atlanta victory sends the series back to Georgia for a matchup-deciding Game 5.
Atta Boy
The Phils’ raucous 10-2 win in Game 3 of the NLDS versus the Braves on Wednesday night was the latest installment.
This episode will forever be known as the “Atta Boy Bryce Harper Game,” thanks to some bulletin board material left behind by Philly’s new villain-of-the-moment, Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia.
It started in Game 2, when Harper ran into a double play following a dramatic catch by Atlanta center fielder Michael Harris II.
Harper was too aggressive in trying to score on what he thought would be a double off the bat of Nick Castellanos. Instead, Harper was thrown out at first as he scrambled to get back to the bag in time.
That allowed the Braves to even the series 1-1 heading to Philadelphia. After the game, Arcia, who was standing around and not doing much on the game-winning play, decided to pop off in the locker room.
“Atta boy, Harper,” he cackled sarcastically, apparently repeating the tease multiple times.
Obviously, word of Arcia’s comments made their way to Philadelphia’s locker room in the hours leading up to yesterday’s game.
Harper, not one to need any extra motivation, read the words and decided to do something about it.