Flash of glory: Bryce Harper's electric 300th home run strikes like lightning

In Wednesday's loss against the Los Angeles Angels, Phillies star Bryce Harper launched one out of Citizens Bank Park to give his team a one-run lead in the eighth. It marked his 15th homer of the season and his 300th career longshot, giving Philadelphia a narrow lead in the clutch moments of the game. No one can say Bryce Harper isn't him.

Unfortunately, Harper's parade was ruined one inning later by Angels third baseman Brandon Drury, who crushed a go-ahead two-run homer putting the Angels back on top, 9-8.

Even though Harper's precious moment was fleeting, he rightfully received a curtain call for doing something only 12 other active players in baseball have achieved: hit 300 career home runs.

Harper became the fifth Phillies player to reach that milestone and capped off an incredible August run from the Phillies, who as a team have a remarkable 57 homers and counting this month.

Phillies: Bryce Harper's 300 career home run feat overshadows loss to Angels

Harper, a two-time MVP, has never hit fewer than 13 homers in a season, included the pandemic-shortened year. If and when the Phillies go on another mesmerizing playoff run in 2023, Harper will be the man at the center of attention -- after all, he's done this before.

A year ago, in 71 plate appearances during the 2022 postseason, Harper batted .349 with an OPS of 1.160 and six homers and 13 RBIs.

Some worried Harper would struggle to rediscover his prime form after undergoing Tommy John surgery last November, but if there's anything to predict about Harper's performance, it's that he continues to defy expectations.

Harper returned to the lineup in early May, a record-breaking 159 days after his initial surgery. Four months later, it appears like Harper is fully back in the swing of things with his numbers across the board trending upward.

NL playoff contenders, beware.