The Cubs got yet another gem from Yu Darvish on Thursday night, and they led 5-0 going into the eighth inning. At one point in the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs had a 99.4 percent chance of winning the game. That's when the bullpen meltdown began. With one out, a David Bote error allowed the gates to open. Rowan Wick, Pedro Strop, and then Derek Holland proved unable to stop the bleeding.
The Phillies pulled to within 5-3, and with one out and the bases loaded Bryce Harper stepped in against Holland. First comes the power, then comes the glory:
BRYCE HARPER, YOU ARE THE MAN!
— MLB (@MLB) August 16, 2019
(MLB x @PapaJohns) pic.twitter.com/UGGQRJ49xw
Second deck, throwback unis, presumably the fastest home run trot of Harper's career -- This one's got it all. Once he touched home plate, this became true:
Bryce Harper's walkoff grand slam capped the @Phillies' comeback from a 5-1 deficit entering the 9th inning.
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) August 16, 2019
Prior to tonight, the Cubs had won 489 straight games when leading by 4+ runs in the 9th or later, the longest active streak in the NL.#RingTheBell
That's also the first Phillies come-from-behind, walk-off grand slam since September of 1983.
This completes the sweep for the Phillies, and the Cubs are now 23-38 on the road in 2019. For the Cubs, this means they remain tied with the Cardinals atop the NL Central standings, and the Phillies are now just one game behind the Cubs/Cardinals for the second NL wild-card spot. If the Phillies claw their way into the playoffs in Harper's first season in town, then this moment won't soon be forgotten. Actually, this moment probably won't soon be forgotten no matter what happens.
