Bryce Harper’s first career cycle wouldn’t have happened without his aggressive baserunning

It’s perfectly accurate to say that Bryce Harper hit for the cycle Saturday night.

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But he also ran for it.

Never mind that the Phillies star tied a bow on his first career cycle by sprinting for a triple in the fifth inning. Two innings earlier, he stretched a single into a double with the overaggressive base running for which he’s often criticized.

Harper lashed a first-pitch fastball from Mets starter Freddy Peralta through the right side. He didn’t hesitate around first base, even though he had barely made the turn when right fielder Eric Wagaman cut off the ball and unleashed a throw.

A strong, accurate throw likely would’ve gotten Harper. But after backhanding the ball, Wagaman’s throw came up well short of second base. Harper’s risk, with nobody out in the third inning and the Phillies leading 4-0, paid off.

But even if it hadn’t, he wasn’t about to apologize for his daring run.

“I don’t really care what people think about my baserunning because that’s how I’ve always played,” he said. “I’ve done it since I was 7 years old. I don’t really play a different way when I know I can try to get to second base. I’ve made mistakes on the bases. I’m going to.

“Little kids are going to do the same thing. And I’ll preach to them that they just play the game hard. If they get thrown out at second or third, then so be it. If I don’t do that tonight, then I don’t have the opportunity to hit for a cycle.”

Harper has made three outs on the bases so far this season. He made six last year, including three at second base after trying to stretch a single.

In this case, given the situation in the game — and the fact that Wagaman, a utility player, was making only his second career start in right field — interim manager Don Mattingly agreed with Harper’s decision to take second.

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“We want to take chances,” Mattingly said. “We want to take smart chances. That’s a good chance there because the guy’s got to backhand it. He’s not truly, truly the right fielder. It’s a guy that’s playing out there sparingly, but also a guy that has to go to his right, backhand the ball, and try to get something on it.

“So, it’s a good chance.”

It’s been only 19 plate appearances over six games, but right fielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. has mostly struggled in his initial exposure to the majors.

Rincones, who didn’t start Sunday night against a lefty (the Mets’ David Peterson), is 2-for-19 with five strikeouts. He hasn’t drawn a walk. Since his homer in his first Citizens Bank Park at-bat Monday night, he’s 1-for-15.

“Some good, some bad,” Mattingly said. “I just don’t want him to be passive. I want him to make sure he’s being aggressive in the zone. He’s a guy that’s got a good eye. He’s young and he is starting out, so you don’t want to put too much emphasis on one day to the next. For me, you want to see the aggressive swings.“

Mattingly was encouraged by Rincones’ swing on a fly ball to center field in his last at-bat Saturday night. But in his two previous at-bats, he chased a low-and-away fastball from lefty Cionel Pérez for a strikeout and got called out on a fastball over the plate from starter Freddy Peralta.

The Phillies plan to move forward with Rincones, a left-handed hitter, in right field against right-handed pitching. Brandon Marsh moves to right field, with righty-hitting Derek Hill in center, against lefties.

Reliever Brad Keller (right forearm strain) began a throwing program by playing catch from 75 to 90 feet. … Lefty reliever Kyle Backhus (elbow) completed an injury rehab assignment with a scoreless inning Saturday for triple-A Lehigh Valley. He will be reinstated from the injured list at some point this week, Mattingly said. … Reserve outfielder Johan Rojas, serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, had surgery in which an internal brace was used to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The typical recovery is 6-8 months, according to the Phillies, who expect he’ll be ready to begin next season. … The Phillies will open a four-game series in Washington at 6:45 p.m. Monday night. They haven’t named a starter to fill demoted Andrew Painter’s spot in the rotation. Left-hander Foster Griffin (7-2, 3.32 ERA) will start the opener for the Nationals.

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