PHILADELPHIA — Walker Buehler gave the Phillies exactly what they wanted Friday night, notably five solid innings and a fifth day of rest for each of their other starting pitchers.

But Bryce Harper supplied more of what they need.

Harper slugged a two-run home run in the third inning to break a tie in an 8-2 thumping of the Royals — and, oh yeah, continue the Phillies’ perfect week with their fifth consecutive victory in jam-packed Citizens Bank Park.

Let’s pause for some mind-bending math. The win, coupled with another Mets loss, chiseled the Phillies’ magic number to defend their division title to ... three! (Note: It was 13 when the week began.)

And now, improbably, the Phillies can wrap up the National League East — and break out the ski goggles for a sudsy celebration — as soon as Sunday, just as the Eagles are kicking off in Kansas City.

This is what happens when you go on a two-week tear that coincides with a meltdown from your chief rival. Really, though, it goes back even further, to the trade deadline. Since Aug. 1, the Phillies are 27-13, the best record in baseball; the Mets are 14-25, the third-worst.

Which brings us back to Harper. Because as much as the Phillies are rolling across these six weeks, the Face of the Franchise has been, well, OK. Entering Friday night, these were Harper’s numbers since Aug. 1:

— 10 homers (tied for 17th in baseball)

— 25 RBIs (tied for 25th)

— .503 slugging (tied for 42nd)

— 120 OPS+ (tied for 69th)

Good, right? But not quite Harper-ish.

So, as Harper unloaded on a sinker from Royals starter Michael Lorenzen and drove it deep the opposite way to left field — in the same bleacher neighborhood where his pennant-clinching homer touched down in 2022 — it was difficult not to imagine a Red October in which he turns back into “The Showman.”

Harper still wasn’t happy with his at-bats overall. He smashed his helmet after grounding out in the eighth inning. But he worked a walk in the fourth inning and singled in the sixth.

There was plenty of offense in support of Buehler, making his first start since signing a minor league contract on Aug. 31. Every Phillies starter had at least one hit save Edmundo Sosa, who was hobbled and left the game early.

While Harper’s homer opened a 3-1 lead, Brandon Marsh followed with a triple and scored on Otto Kemp’s single to make it 4-1. In the fourth inning, back-to-back-to-back doubles by Rafael Marchán, Harrison Bader, and Kyle Schwarber opened a 6-1 lead.

And in the seventh inning, Bryson Stott went deep to open an 8-2 lead.

Buehler, meanwhile, threw 90 pitches in five innings and put a runner on base in every inning other than the third. But he threw strikes, an issue that caused his struggles with the Red Sox for most of the season, and gave the offense a chance to build the big lead.

The Phillies likely will keep Buehler in the rotation as the sixth starter through the end of the regular season. He would line up to start next Friday night in Arizona and again on Sept. 26 at home against the Twins.

Could Buehler work his way into the playoff rotation?

“Well, I mean, we’ve got four guys doing pretty good right now,” manager Rob Thomson said. “So, he’s got to dominate pretty much.”

Buehler didn’t dominate the Royals but was good enough.

And Harper looked closer to great again.

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