PHILADELPHIA -- Earlier this week, Bryce Harper sounded more annoyed than anything that he had not homered in more than a month.

He had hit a few balls recently that he could not believe stayed in the yard.

But Harper hit his first home runs since Aug. 9 in Saturday afternoon¡¯s 6-4 comeback victory over the Mets at Citizens Bank Park, cutting the Phillies¡¯ magic number to clinch the NL East to seven with 14 games to play. Harper¡¯s solo homer to left-center field in the fourth inning was his first homer in 128 plate appearances, snapping the second-longest homerless streak of his career. He smashed a two-run homer to right field in the sixth to cut New York¡¯s lead to one.

¡°It felt like a good atmosphere,¡± Harper said about his sixth-inning homer. ¡°It felt like a playoff atmosphere. It felt like a big at-bat, a big situation. I love that, so it was good.¡±

Cal Stevenson¡¯s go-ahead two-run double in the seventh put the Phils over the top. He called it the biggest hit of his career, which coincidentally followed an eighth-inning go-ahead double in Tuesday's 9-4 win over the Rays. At the time, Stevenson called that hit the biggest of his career.

But Tuesday didn¡¯t include a home run-robbing catch, like the one he made Saturday against J.D. Martinez in the eighth to preserve the lead.

¡°That one¡¯s probably up there, too,¡± Stevenson said. ¡°It feels good to contribute this late in the year for this team. We¡¯re fighting for a No. 1 seed and the best record in baseball. ¡­ Obviously, I don¡¯t get a whole lot of opportunities, so when I do get in there, you want to make the most of them.¡±

The Phillies hope Harper¡¯s blasts are signs of things to come with October around the corner. They hope contributions from role players such as Stevenson continue, too. The Phils need everybody as they try to clinch not only their first division title since 2011, but home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

¡°I said to [Stevenson] today and I said to Buddy [Kennedy] the other day, 'If you can take those at-bats in that situation, you can take any at-bat in your career,'¡± Harper said. ¡°In that moment -- 40,000 people, big situation, big moment -- I think that¡¯s why we rely so heavily on our young guys, because we know they can come through.¡±

Harper has been playing with a sore right wrist and a sore right elbow for weeks, which has hindered his power. But there had been signs lately he'd been getting close. He hit a ball off the top of the right-field wall on Sunday in Miami. He hit a couple more balls off the right-field wall on Monday and Tuesday at the Bank.

¡°I¡¯d go another 200 at-bats or 100 at-bats without one,¡± Harper said. ¡°I mean, it is what it is, right? I¡¯m having good at-bats, we¡¯re winning games. Obviously, I want to hit homers, but I¡¯ll take the doubles, I¡¯ll take the singles -- any time we can win a game, that¡¯s what matters most.¡±

Harper hit a first-pitch changeup away from Mets right-hander Luis Severino in the fourth inning.

¡°Usually, you throw that pitch to any lefty, he's going to pull it first pitch,¡± Severino said. ¡°So maybe he was looking to go the other way in that at-bat.¡±

Harper and Severino locked into a seven-pitch battle in the sixth. Harper fouled back a 2-2 sweeper, then took another 2-2 sweeper down for a ball.

It was a great take.

¡°I thought I read it, ball out of the hand right there,¡± Harper said. ¡°I thought the one prior to that -- the foul ball -- I thought it was a really good pitch. I was able to stay on it and foul it off, and then get into that deep count.¡±

Harper hit a 3-2 slider for the homer.

¡°They were not hitting the ball except for Harper,¡± Severino said. ¡°I think he was the only guy that had a great approach against me. ¡­ He battled with me in that last at-bat. I threw a good pitch, a [2-2] sweeper back-door, hit the corner and he hit that foul ball. So he was locked in."

Phillies left-hander Kolby Allard allowed four runs in three innings to put the team in a 4-0 hole. Allard was the fourth pitcher the Phils have used in the No. 5 spot in the past four turns through the rotation.

It is unclear if he will stay in that spot the next time through.

Taijuan Walker pitched three scoreless innings in relief, which was a huge performance -- both individually and for the team. If Walker keeps pitching like this, he could find himself with a bullpen role in the postseason.

Harper¡¯s homers and Walker¡¯s three innings set up Stevenson.

What a week for him.

¡°It¡¯s been a good one,¡± Stevenson said, smiling.