Dodgers fans will love Joe Davis’ Bryce Harper HR call that ended Padres season

The San Diego Padres have been eliminated from the postseason. The Philadelphia Phillies are going to the World Series. Even if the Los Angeles Dodgers made it to the NLCS, they might’ve fallen to this Phillies team of destiny. Not a bad way to look at it if you’re still sad about the NLDS loss.

Even better, though, is the Padres dropping the NLCS in five games, and the final two in agonizing fashion. Staked with a four-run first-inning lead in Game 4, they blew it and lost 10-6. They stole a late lead in Game 5 and had a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth, and then lost 4-3.

Bryce Harper was a catalyst for the Phillies offense this entire series. The last two nights, he was responsible for taking the leads back — ones Philly would never relinquish.

On Sunday evening, his two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth off Robert Suarez punched the Phillies’ ticket to the Fall Classic.

Dodgers’ play-by-play man Joe Davis was on the call for the FOX broadcast and, man, did he nail this one. The moment was captured perfectly, and it was at the expense of the Padres. Couldn’t write a better alternate ending to the Dodgers’ season, to be honest.

Dodgers’ Joe Davis has epic call on Bryce Harper HR that eliminated the Padres

“The swing of his life!” Davis, in his first season replacing Joe Buck, has already inserted himself into baseball history in an endearing manner. The 34-year-old will have many more moments ahead of him, too.

As for the Padres, welcome to the couch! Manager Bob Melvin’s decision not to use Josh Hader to face the three best Phillies’ hitters to kick off the eighth inning was the difference in this one. Suarez allowed JT Realmuto to reach on a single and then surrendered Harper’s game-winning home run.

Right after Realmuto’s single, the call should’ve been made to make it a lefty-lefty matchup.

Then, Melvin called for a sacrifice bunt in the top of the ninth with one out and runners on first and second. He had the tying run already in scoring position and gave the Phillies a free out! Unbelievable.

The Padres and their fans were laughing at Dave Roberts’ bullpen management not too long ago. How the tables have turned …

Davis getting his hands on the Padres’ misfortune will be yet another moral victory the Dodgers can hang on to over the offseason. Even when San Diego gets the best of LA, it still can’t really rid itself of the division rival.

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