Bryce Harper is Just as Phenomenal as we all thought

[Box Score]

[Nats Insider]

Last night was Bryce Harper’s first “big game”. You’ve probably already heard of the rocket arm. Last night was about the lightning in his bat.

Harper collected his first home hit early in the night, and after his first big league caught stealing he really delivered the thrills.

Harper doubled off the top of the wall, flew out to deep center field off a lefty breaking-ball from Joe Saunders, and then gave the first “wow” moment in the bottom of the 9th inning.

Harper hit a ball off J.J. Putz that I thought had the chance to land in the seats and tie the game at 4-4. Instead, this ball also ricocheted off the right-centefield wall about halfway up. Harper ended up on second base with a double, and instead of the brash cocky emotion the only thing I saw on the kid’s face was focus. He wanted to score the tying run. I saw a kid with a fire that wanted to win the game.

After Wilson Ramos struck out, Ian Desmond hit a 2-run walkoff job off Putz that won the game for the Nationals and made for an early high-drama moment in Harper’s career.

This kid isn’t going anywhere. He’ll be in Washington all summer, thrilling us each night and making us feel guilty for missing some of the special things he does at the ripe young age of 19.

Don’t feel too badly if you missed last night, you’ll have plenty of chances to see his greatness. He’s got five hits now and at least 2,995 to go.