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Ian Desmond on Nationals' slugger Bryce Harper: "He's turned into quite the beast."

Bryce Harper went 3 for 4 with two home runs and a double in Wednesday's series finale with the New York Mets. It was in a losing effort, unfortunately, but the Washington Nationals' 22-year-old slugger did what he could.

By Patrick Reddington
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Bryce Harper started the three-game set with the NL East-leading New York Mets 0 for 8 at the plate with two walks and four Ks in back-to-back losses in the first two of three in Washington, D.C., but the Nationals' 22-year-old MVP candidate came up big in the series finale.

Harper was hitless (0 for 4, BB) against lefty Jon Niese and a series of Mets' relievers in the first game. He went 0 for 3 vs Matt Harvey, (leaving him 0 for 20 with 7 Ks career vs Harvey) and 0 for 2 with a walk vs the 'pen in the second, then went 3 for 4 with two home runs (35, 36), a double and three runs scored against Jacob deGrom and Tyler Clippard in the third of three in what ended up a 5-3 loss in spite of his efforts.

"The ball Harper hit in the first inning, that was a pretty good pitch. That's what the great hitters do, they can take a good pitch and do damage with it." -Terry Collins on Bryce Harper's HR off deGrom

He took a 97 mph 1-2 fastball up high, inside from deGrom to right field for a two-out home run in the bottom of the first, doubled off the righty the second time up in the fourth and scored on an RBI single by Clint Robinson, then after grounding out to first in the sixth, took a 92 mph 3-1 fastball knee-high inside from Tyler Clippard to right for his second home run of the game in the home-half of the eighth.

"The ball Harper hit in the first inning," Mets' skipper Terry Collins said, "that was a pretty good pitch. That's what the great hitters do, they can take a good pitch and do damage with it."

Both of Harper's homers were solo shots after Jayson Werth and Danny Espinosa failed to get on base in front of the slugger, and on the year, 23 of his 36 home runs this season have come with the bases empty.

Nats' skipper Matt Williams was asked after the game how big a problem it's been that so much, of Harper's home run production at least, has come with the bases empty?

"You can cry over spilled milk," Williams said, "but having guys injured and out of the lineup, the guys that generally hit in front of him, puts him at a disadvantage in that regard.

"To his credit he has stayed the course and done really well, regardless of the situation."

Harper currently leads the National League in AVG (.336), OBP (.467), SLG (.657), OPS+ (B-R: 201), wOBA (.467), wRC+ (201) and runs scored (104), is tied for second in HRs (36) and is in second with 109 walks.

Harper's 85 RBIs are good for 8th in the NL.

The three-game sweep at the hands of the Mets left the Nationals 7.0 games back with 23 to play, but Harper told reporters, including MASN's Chris Johnson, that he and his teammates will keep coming to the park and fighting.

Nationals blow 2-1 lead in the 8th, Mets sweep three game set

 Photo © Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports

"We just got to keep rolling," Harper said. "Keep trying to play games. Keep having fun and enjoy the season. Really just come in every single day with a plan to win ballgames. Just gotta grind it out to the end, and when it's over, it's over."

His approach this season has not been lost on his teammates, including Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond, who told reporters they've seen impressive growth.

Werth told Washington Post columnist Thomas Boswell that Harper's matured, become "one of the guys" in the clubhouse and this year, "... shown the guys in here the intangibles that you think of in an MVP-caliber player."

"Kid's showtime," Desmond said last night. "He rises to the occasion. It's fun to kind of watch his maturity over the last few years. He's turned into quite the beast."

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