Bryce Harper defends Phillies fans for their frustration following NLDS departure

The Philadelphia Phillies felt good coming into the postseason this year. They had clinched for the second time in a row and got a first-round bye. They were then matched up with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, which proved to be too much for them. 

The Dodgers got the better of the Phillies in the first two games, but Philadelphia won Game 3 to keep its season alive. However, they would end up losing Game 4 on Thursday in extra innings. 

Philadelphia will now look toward the future, and the team could look quite different next season. They have a ton of key players who will become free agents this winter, like Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto. 

The Phillies were searching for their first World Series title since the 2008 season, but that did not come to fruition. Instead, fans are left with a sour taste in their mouth about what could have been this year. 

Fans were understandably upset after Thursday's loss, but so were the players. Bryce Harper spoke and defended the fans' actions, via NBC Sports Philadelphia's Bob Cooney.

"I know fans are upset, it's warranted," said Harper. "We're upset in here as well. Our daily life is Philly baseball. This is our family in here. This is what we do. We want to win not just for ourselves but for everybody that watches us play as a fan base and everything else. I understand what they're going through. I've lost many playoff series and many games in the playoffs and it's not fun."

Despite the words, fans will still feel the sting of this loss for a while. Now, the front office will look to put together the best product forward to help fans alleviate that sting next season.