The Philadelphia Phillies picked up an early-season win on Wednesday when they took down the Washington Nationals. Philadelphia claimed the rubber match of a three-game series by a score of 6-5. And it was an encouraging contest, to say the least, considering the struggles of first baseman Bryce Harper.

Harper entered the game on a brutal 2-for-20 slump to begin the season. After Wednesday's win, he is now three for his last 25 at-bats. However, his third hit of the season was a big one. The Phillies star crushed a ball 425 feet to center field to help Philadelphia's comeback effort at home.

After the game, Harper spoke about this at bat and what he saw. Additionally, he addressed his slump and expressed how he is feeling at the plate in the early going. “It was good. A first-pitch curveball. [I'm] still chasing a little too much, but I feel good. We’ll get going,” the Phillies star said, via MLB.com reporter Todd Zolecki.

Philadelphia is off to a rather pedestrian start in 2026. They began the season with a win over the Texas Rangers on Opening Day. Unfortunately, they followed that up with three consecutive losses — two to Texas and one to the Nationals.

The Nationals loss, in particular, was ugly. Washington hung 13 runs on the Phillies as they claimed a blowout 13-2 victory. But Philadelphia was still able to bounce back and claim the final two games of the series.

Harper and his teammates have their eyes set on postseason contention. They have a ton of time to figure things out, and Wednesday's home run could serve as an encouraging sign moving forward. The Phillies return to action on Friday when they travel to begin a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies.