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The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
When the fifth inning began in San Diego on that Saturday night in late June, everyone’s mind was still on Bryce Harper and how much damage a wayward 97-mph fastball had wrought upon his left hand. Did Harper break his thumb? … Would he play again this season? … How would the Phillies survive without him? J.T. Realmuto’s leadoff home run seemed rather inconsequential by comparison. In hindsight, it represented a pivot point in the Phillies’ season. Not only did it break a scoreless tie in a 4-2 victory over the Padres, it also began a 33-20 stretch without Harper. And it provided the first…