WASHINGTON — One sign that a hitter is on fire is when pitchers just praise someone they have to face in the batter’s box.
That is the case for Atlanta Braves lefty Eric Stults, who allowed the first of two home runs to Washington right fielder Bryce Harper on Friday in a 9-2 win by the Nationals.
Harper hit a two-run homer in the sixth against the veteran and then added a three-run shot in the eighth against Williams Perez, who was making his big league debut.
“He’s comfortable now and he’s definitely showing it,” Stults said of Harper, who had three hits in the game. “A couple of mistakes tonight and he didn’t miss them.”
But Stults, who pitched for the San Diego Padres last year, realizes the Nationals have other solid bats in the lineup.
Left fielder Jayson Werth hit his first homer of the year — against Stults in the fourth — and second baseman Danny Espinosa also had two homers. Espinosa now has four homers this year and is batting .254 after he hit .219 with eight homers last year. First baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who bats behind Harper, had two hits Friday.
“This is a streaky team and they have a lot of guys that can do some damage and when they are hot they can do damage in a hurry and you saw that tonight, especially late in the game,” Stults said of Washington.
Washington left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez, who is never at a loss for words, was also awestruck by Harper.
Gonzalez was on the bench Wednesday afternoon as Harper hit three homers against the Miami Marlins. Then on Friday, the lefty from Florida benefitted from an offense that hit five homers in the game — with two more by Harper. “It was incredible to watch,” Gonzalez said.
Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said Harper was locked in. When told of the comment by the opposing manager, Harper said that is what he expects out of himself: to have good at-bats.
Washington was leading 4-2 going into the last of the eighth when third baseman Yunel Escobar drew a walk and left fielder Jayson Werth had a single. Harper then drilled the first pitch from Perez for a three-run homer. “It was a pitch I could handle,” Harper said. That has been happening a lot this week for Harper, who now has 10 homers and 25 RBIs this year and is hitting .284.