PHILADELPHIA − If you're coming at Bryce Harper, you better not miss.

The Atlanta Braves, and particularly shortstop Orlando Arcia, learned this lesson the hard way.

That's because Arcia, who mocked Harper after Harper's base-running blunder led to a game-ending double play on Wednesday, got the full brunt of Harper's fury in Game 3 of the NLDS on Wednesday.

Harper hit two home runs, including a three-run shot in the third inning that broke open a 1-1 tie, and sent the Phillies to a resounding 10-2 win. Each time Harper passed second base during his home run trot, he stared at Arcia.

For those keeping score, that's two home runs, two Arcia staredowns.

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Also, for those keeping score, the Phillies have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-5 series, with a chance to knock out the Braves, who won an MLB best 104 games this season, in Game 4 on Thursday. If a Game 5 is necessary, it will take place Saturday in Atlanta.

Nick Castellanos also hit two homers, and Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh added solo blasts.

Harper, of course, has come through in the big moments before. His two-run homer last year in the eighth inning of Game 5 of the NLCS enabled the Phillies to advance to the World Series.

"It’s part of the reason why we play this game," Harper said. "There’s nothing like it. Everybody’s competitive. Everyone we play against. I just really enjoy those moments and the opportunity to play this game and have those moments."

And just like last year, the Phillies rode a raucous crowd that cheered relentlessly for Harper and the Phillies, and lustily booed the Braves, saving their loudest derision for Arcia.

And just like last year, Aaron Nola shut down the powerful Braves' offense in Game 3. He pitched 5⅔ innings, giving up two runs on six hits while striking out nine. He left to a standing ovation from the 45,798 fans on hand.

"I just want to soak it in as much as possible," said Nola, who's eligible for free agency after the season. "I wanted to tip my cap and thank them. That's why they're the best, man. From pitch one to the end of the game, they were standing up. It was fun. It was an amazing atmosphere."

They rattled the Braves and beleaguered pitcher Bryce Elder, much as they did against the Marlins in the wild-card round last week.

"The crowd noise, it can be deafening," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said before the game. "And it creates a lot of energy for us. And sometimes it can create some intimidation to the opposition. I think that's the biggest factor, no question about it."

For the second straight season, the two teams came back to Philadelphia tied at 1-1 in the NLDS. In 2022, the Braves sent out their top pitcher, Spencer Strider, and the Phillies jumped all over him as he allowed five runs in 2⅓ innings in the Phillies' 9-1 win.

The Phillies closed out the series the following day.

Elder also lasted just 2⅓ innings. But he gave up six runs.

Harper got it started

The Phillies tied the game at 1-1 on Castellanos' home run to lead off the third inning. Eventually, Harper came to bat with runners on first and second with two outs.

He sent Elder's 2-and-1 pitch into the second deck in right field, sending the crowd into a frenzy. As Harper rounded second base, he stared at Arcia. That gave the Phillies a 4-1 lead.

The Phillies weren't done in the inning as J.T. Realmuto knocked in two more with a double.

What did Arcia do to draw Harper's ire?

In Game 2 on Monday, Harper was on first base with one out in the ninth inning, with the Phillies trailing 5-4. That's when Castellanos sent a shot to right-center field. Braves center fielder Michael Harris chased the ball down, making a leaping catch at the wall.

Harper, running all the way, had rounded second base, and was doubled off trying to get back to first.

According to Fox Sports, in the Braves clubhouse following the game, Arcia "cackled emphatically about Harper's misfortune, bellowing, 'Ha ha, atta-boy, Harper!' repeatedly as reporters circled the room."

As for Arcia, he struck out in his first two at-bats before singling in a run in the sixth inning. It didn't make a difference.

Harper began his revenge day by showing up in a "Coach Prime" T-shirt, an homage to Colorado football coach Deion Sanders, who responded to Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell criticizing him by saying, "They done messed around."

That seemed to be Harper's theme, too.

Not that Harper admitted that, saying he wore the "Coach Prime" shirt by chance, and almost took it off when he realized that Sanders as a major league baseball player once played for the Braves.

"Nah, there was nothing behind it or anything like that," Harper said.

The Phillies weren't close to being finished, however.

Harper led off the fifth inning with his second homer, again staring down Arcia as he rounded second base. Turner followed with a solo blast in the sixth, and Castellanos and Marsh went back to back in the eighth.

By then, it was the Phillies fans who were mocking the Braves. They did the tomahawk chop. They chanted, "We want Strider!" about the Braves ace who will pitch Game 4.

But mostly, they chanted "MVP! MVP!" whenever Harper came to bat.

He didn't disappoint, not that his teammates were surprised. The stage is never too big for Harper.

"Juan Soto and him are the only two people that I’ve seen, just on command, do things," Turner said. "Just when they need the big hit, or to do something, they do it almost every single time.

"You're kind of born with it."

Finally, Harper was asked about how he found out about Arcia's comments in the first place.

"My teammates," he said. "They just kind of told me, and they looked at me like, ‘What are you gonna do?’"

We all found out Wednesday.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Phillies Bryce Harper's 2 HRs, 2 staredowns put Braves on NLDS brink