Bryce Harper hit his first career cycle

When Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Cristopher Sanchez are at the top of their game, very few teams can hope to beat the Philadelphia Phillies. The hapless New York Mets learned this the hard way yesterday, as the trio completely outclassed the opposition in a 15-3 victory.

Harper took advantage of this one-sided game to hit his first career grand slam, while Schwarber, who was already leading the Majors in home runs, added three more. The Phillies' power hitter now has 28 home runs on his resume.

Between them, Harper and Schwarber went 8-for-10 on the night, driving in nine runs and scoring six times.

Combine this offensive duo with the fact that Cristopher Sanchez was on the mound, and you had an explosive mix that even the Los Angeles Dodgers couldn't stop.

Sanchez, a Cy Young Award candidate in the National League, pitched six innings, allowing just one run to the Mets while giving up five hits, including a home run to Mark Vientos. The Phillies' tall left-hander earned his ninth win of 2026 and lowered his ERA to 1.80.

As for Harper, it's still surprising that, in his 15th season in the majors, he had yet to hit for the cycle (i.e., hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game). He can now check that feat off his personal list.

Hats off to Freddy Peralta, who had the tough task of facing a fired-up Phillies team. The Mets starter (who must be eager to be traded) was on the receiving end of a firestorm, allowing ten runs on ten hits in two and two-thirds innings. Unlike Sanchez, Peralta saw his ERA balloon to 4.83. It's been a difficult year, to say the least, for a player who has spent nearly his entire career in a Milwaukee Brewers uniform.

Despite this convincing win, the Phillies didn't gain any ground in the race for the National League East title, as the Atlanta Braves also won. However, they proved that their offensive machine can fire on demand and that the damage can be significant.

The Mets, meanwhile, continued their long and painful slog, punctuated by forgettable games and heavy losses. Even though he's batting .301, Juan Soto doesn't seem to be making an impact on the team's overall results in New York, and rumors suggest that Bo Bichette will try to jump ship using an opt-out clause in his most recent contract.

No, the future doesn't look bright in Queens, especially considering that the team's top prospect (Carson Benge) is already part of the starting lineup.

Imagine if Bichette decided to settle in Philadelphia, as was planned when he left Toronto. He would then bolster an already strong group of hitters.

• Shohei Ohtani wasted no time: a home run right after his brief paternity leave.

• A solid start for Paul Skenes, who still took the loss.

• A great milestone for the Quebec native.

• The Blue Jays beat the Cubs and acquired Luis Urias via trade yesterday.

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