3 Phillies who can’t afford to cool off for World Series run

1. Bryce Harper

Look, Bryce Harper doesn't go cold often. Especially not on this stage. He has been a paragon of consistency for the Phillies all postseason. Pitchers pitch around him. For the postseason, Harper is slashing .357/.539/.786 with four home runs, seven RBIs, only six strikeouts, and 11 walks. That is comical.

Thursday's loss to Arizona, however, marked Harper's first game without a hit since Game 2 of the wild card series against Miami. The Diamondbacks purposefully gave him very little to hit (he was walked twice) and Harper still managed to score the Phillies' only run, but it was a quiet game relative to his extremely high standards.

It should go without saying that the Phillies cannot afford even a mediocre stretch from Harper. He is the lifeblood of Philadelphia's offense, the ringleader in the locker room, and the foundation upon which the team's World Series aspirations are built. If Harper gets caught in a funk, it's time to start asking which team will bring the World Series trophy back to Texas.

Harper is, despite it often appearing otherwise, a mortal man. He's fallible just like every other player, and there's a chance the Diamondbacks can finally force him out of rhythm. That would be a particularly difficult blow to Philadelphia's competitive chances. On the other hand, there's an even stronger chance Harper bounces back with a multi-hit Game 4 effort and places Philly on the doorstep of another World Series round.