The Phillies entered tonight’s game with the Padres carrying the baggage of Andrew McCutchen’s devastating season-ending ACL tear and a five-game losing streak. They desperately needed a spark to ignite a slumping offense that came into the game hitting only .182 during what has been a nightmare trip. Here’s what I want to know from you–will you remember the night–where you were and who you were with–when Jay Bruce did that magic he did?

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you The Jay Bruce Game.

He got things started in the second inning by ripping a double and later scoring on a Scott Kingery double. The team-mandated celebratory hand-wave ensued:

He then followed with his first homer as a Phillie and his 15th of the year.


I have to say, it’s nice to see him finally doing it for the good guys after hitting .309 with 22 homers in 79 career games against the Phillies.

It would get even nicer the next inning when Bruce came to the plate, and, you guessed it, did it again–this time with the bases loaded:

That’s three hits, three extra-base hits, two homers, and six RBI by the fifth inning off a guy who entered with a 1.42 ERA at Petco Park this season. In case you’re keeping track at home, and you should be, Bruce has an .874 OPS as of this swing and is on pace for over 40 homers. No big deal.