Not even a sleepy start at the plate and a handful of poor defensive plays can stop the Phillies right now.

Kyle Gibson and a mix of three relievers limited the Mets to just two runs, propelling the Phillies to a season-best sixth straight win. And suddenly, just like that, just six days after falling 4 1/2 games behind New York in the standings, the Phillies are back in first place for the first time in 91 days following a 4-2 victory.

Raise your hand if you saw absolutely any of this coming.

Bryce Harper Has a Moment

Bryce Harper, owner of a .305 average and .983 OPS, has worked his way into the National League MVP race following a torrid 30-game run in which he is hitting .375 with a 1.169 OPS.

While Harper is still far from the betting favorite to win the award, his MVP odds at DraftKings rocketed from +1800 before the game to +800 following it. A Phillies’ postseason run backed by some memorable moments could make things interesting.


With his team clinging to a one-run lead in the eighth inning, Harper had such a moment when he launched a 442-foot missile off the ivy in center.

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“[Edwin] Diaz is super tough, I mean, he’s one of the best closers in the game for a reason. I was just trying to go up there and just put bat to ball. I was able to do that and it went over the fence,” Harper said. “I was just so fired up for just my team. I was just telling Rhys [Hoskins], you live for those moments and you grind for those moments, so you can perform for your team, your city, your fans, and your organization.”

Harper’s blast was only bested by the majestic bat flip that followed it.

Kudos to Diaz for his unwavering optimism, even in the bleakest of moments.

Harper’s shot would prove to be more than just window dressing, too, as closer Ian Kennedy allowed what would have been a game-tying homer to start the ninth.

“Well, that’s just such a big home run because it gives you a little breathing room,” Joe Girardi said after the game. “In today’s game, one through nine, they can hit the ball out of the ballpark. It’s one mistake that ties the game up, so that was a huge moment.”

Kennedy would retire the next three batters to earn his first save with the Phillies, but he has now allowed five earned runs in four appearances with his new team after allowing five earned runs over his final 17 appearances with the Rangers.

Kyle Gibson Grinds His Way to Quality Start

For six innings, it was The Kyle Gibson Show in front of the 30,106 fans gathered at Citizens Bank Park.

Gibson worked around some spotty defense, worked through some command issues, and worked out of a couple jams over six innings of one-run baseball.

Forced to grind through some extra outs after a three-pack of questionable infield plays, two of which were scored errors (one each by Alec Bohm and Brad Miller), Gibson quickly ran his pitch count to 70 with nobody out and the bases loaded in the fourth.

But he was able to bear down and get Marcus Stroman on a three-pitch strikeout (I have no clue why Stroman didn’t attempt to put the ball in play) before rolling Brandon Nimmo into a first-pitch double play to end the Mets’ threat.

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Out of the jam, Gibson would proceed to get through the next two innings with just 26 pitches, giving the Phillies a much-needed quality start. In his first two starts with the Phillies, he has yielded just three earned runs over 12 2/3 innings, good for a solid 2.13 ERA.

“He has the ability to get double plays, he has the ability to manipulate the baseball and move it around, throw everything on both sides of the plate,” Girardi said. “That’s pitching. When he pitches, it’s an art, it’s not just throw it has hard as I can, go as long as I can, it’s an art.”

Gibson hasn’t been dominant, nor has he overpowered the opposition, but he has given the Phillies exactly what they need with a pair of professional grade starts.

Oh — and he didn’t just get it done on the mound.

Gibson also supplied a go-ahead RBI single when he stepped to the plate in the fifth inning.

Following a Miller triple off the right field out-of-town scoreboard, Gibson poked a run-scoring single off Mets starter Marcus Stroman through the hole on the left side to put the Phillies ahead for good.

“I mean, what a big knock. Seriously, 2-0, I was like, ‘he’s gotta be taking right here’ and then, bam, base knock” Harper said of the clutch hit.

Not only was the hit Gibson’s first since the 2018 season, it also marked the first RBI of his career.

Gotta Clean It Up

A feel-good win could have been a frustrating loss caused by another brutal night for the Phillies’ defense.

As noted above, Miller made an error while Odubel Herrera had an awkward read and approach on a fly ball to left. Alec Bohm had a particularly rough night with a pair of errors and a slow read on a playable ball that was scored a base-hit.

Here’s a look at his struggles:

https://twitter.com/BrodesMedia/status/1423785306780835841?s=20

https://twitter.com/BrodesMedia/status/1423790213046939659?s=20

As NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman noted on Twitter during the game, Bohm, who was pulled for defense late, leads all National League third baseman with 14 errors.