Bryce Harper’s struggles continue in Nationals’ loss to Braves

Bryce Harper went 0 for 4 with two Ks in Washington’s 7-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, leaving Washington’s 23-year-old right fielder 0 for 15 with seven Ks over the last six games.

Harper has walked nine times and struck out seven times over that stretch, and he’s hitless since he homered in Washington’s 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies last Saturday.

On the year, Harper is down to a .242/.378/.446 line on the year after going 0 for 7 with three Ks in the first two games of the three-game set in Turner Field.

Dusty Baker was asked after Saturday’s game if he was concerned about Harper at this point?

“I’ve been concerned about Bryce for a while,” Baker told reporters, as quoted by Washington Post writer Jorge Castillo.

“I just know that he keeps swinging, he’s going to be Bryce. And I’m just hoping it happens in the nick of time, come the last couple weeks of September and the playoffs.”

Harper has homered in just one of his last 71 plate appearances going back to August 29th.

Through 51 games in the second half, Harper has a .220/.341/.374 line with 11 doubles, five home runs, 35 walks and 48 Ks.

After he started the month of September with a 2 for 3 game in which he hit two doubles, Baker talked about liking what he saw from Harper.

“We need Bryce,” Baker said, “and water seeks its own level and you know Bryce isn’t going to continue to struggle forever and he’s getting it together right on time.”

In spite of his struggles, Harper had reached base in 35 of 39 going into the matchup with the Braves on Saturday, with a .261/.388/.442 line, 11 doubles, four home runs, 30 walks and 35 Ks over that stretch, going back to July 28th.

Will he find it over the next few weeks and finish strong heading into the postseason?

• We talked about Harper’s struggles, Gio Gonzalez’s rough start vs the Braves and Trea Turner’s continued success on Nats Nightly after Saturday’s game: