Phillies get last laugh with petty comments after Orlando Arcia's weird stare down

The popcorn was popping, and the drama was building ahead of an NLDS showdown between division rivals in October 2023. For the second straight season, the top-seeded Atlanta Braves took on the Wild Card Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves were looking for vengeance, to build, while the Phillies were trying to win it all after coming so close in 2022.

Fast-forward to game two of the series when Bryce Harper ended the game after a baserunning miscue. Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia let Harper know he messed up, repeatedly yelling, "Atta boy, Harper!" in his direction. The problem with Arcia's comments was the series was shifting over to The Bank in Philly, and he poked the bear.

In Game 3, Harper homered two times in an annihilation of the Braves. Both times, he stared Arcia down as he rounded second base, sending a very clear message that he remembered Arcia's actions from a game before. The Phillies went on to win the series, sending the Braves home for the second straight year.

Which brings us to Tuesday night, another Phillies/Braves matchup in Atlanta. This time, Arcia was the one who homered. He decided to let Harper know what he did. But the aftermath did not go as well for him as it did for the Phillies.

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Orlando Arcia stares down Bryce Harper, but Phillies get the last laugh

Orlando Arcia and his .226 batting average homered for the 12th time this season on Wednesday night. As he rounded first base, he looked to stare at Bryce Harper. He then did it again after rounding second. Presumably, this is related to the history these two have dating back to the 2023 postseason.

This home run gave the Braves a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning. Unfortunately for the Braves, the game continued. The Phillies scored three unanswered and won the game 3-2.

After the game, Arcia was asked about his actions after his home run. He claims that he was "just enjoying" his homer. When Harper was asked if he saw Arcia stare him down twice, he was very straightforward. “I don't care. I couldn't care less. I already did it," he said.

Plus, the Phillies won the game. They still have a seven-game lead on the Braves in the division. And they might have just poked the bear, again.

The two will match up again tonight at 7 p.m. EST in Atlanta. Get your popcorn ready.