Bryce Harper Let Nationals Fans Know How He Feels About Them With One Gesture

Bryce Harper let Washington Nationals fans know how he feels about them during his ninth-inning home run.

Jun 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) hits a two run home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Over the last few years, the Philadelphia Phillies have dominated the Washington Nationals more than any team in baseball.

It has been a one-sided affair, but the Nationals were looking to change that tune during a four-game series in the nation’s capital. The Phillies got off on the wrong foot in Game 1, losing 4-1 despite a spirited outing from Alan Rangel, who is taking over for Andrew Painter.

Washington was certainly ready to build on that momentum. They took a multi-run lead in every game of the series, yet came out on the losing end in the last three games. Philadelphia showed that there are levels to this, and MLB games are nine innings long.

They had explosive final frames over the last three games, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat each time. In the series finale, it was Bryce Harper who took center stage in the comeback.

Bryce Harper flips Nationals fans the bird after home run

Jun 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) celebrates after hitting a three run home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

There is no love lost between the eight-time All-Star and the team he began his career with before signing with the Phillies as a free agent ahead of the 2019 season. Fans were heckling him throughout the evening, but he got the last laugh.

In a 5-5 game in the top of the ninth inning, Harper took a 1-0 changeup from Gus Varland and deposited it in the left field seats for an opposite-field, two-run home run. And while rounding the bases, Harper let the fans know just how he felt about them, flipping the fans in right field the bird as part of his celebration.

That had to be a great feeling for the veteran first baseman. Not only did he give his team the lead for the third straight game in the ninth inning, but he was able to stick it to the fans who had been heckling him all series.

Through the first three games of the series, Harper was 3-for-13, striking out four times. He didn’t record a single RBI or walk, as the Nationals' pitching staff was able to keep him at bay.

9TH INNING MAGIC! pic.twitter.com/CZIIRY50pK

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 26, 2026

But he broke through in a big way in the finale. Harper went 2-for-3 with the two-run home run and drew two walks, getting the final laugh against his former team in what was a season-defining and historic stretch for Philadelphia.

In Games 2 and 3, they became the first team in MLB history to be facing nobody on, two outs and two strike situations in the ninth inning to come back and win. They are also the first team to hit go-ahead home runs in the ninth inning in three consecutive games.

Only four games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East race, the Phillies have a golden opportunity to continue making up ground with the schedule they have to navigate ahead of the MLB All-Star break.

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