NATIONAL LEAGUE
NATIONALS 5, METS 3 (13)
WASHINGTON -- Bryce Harper swung at the 91 mph pitch in the bottom of the 13th inning and could tell right away the ball would end up over the fence.
"I knew it was gone. I mean, I felt it," the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year said. "I haven't felt like that in a while. I haven't got extension on a ball in a pretty long time."
Harper's fourth home run of an injury-interrupted, trying season was a game-ending, two-run shot to left field off righty reliever Carlos Torres, lifting Washington past the New York Mets 5-3 Thursday and giving the Nationals a season-high 4 1/2-game lead in the NL East.
"Wanted to put a two-seamer down and away," said Torres (5-5), who struck out Harper on Wednesday. "It didn't move that much, unfortunately."
Harper was hitting .250 with 14 RBI in 2014 entering Thursday, with zero home runs since July 18.
"Hopefully he rides that for the next couple months and [we] sail off into the sunset," said Ian Desmond, who walked ahead of Harper's home run.
Desmond drove in Washington's first three runs with a two-run home run in the second inning, his 18th, and an RBI single in the fourth -- both off Mets starter Jacob deGrom.
Can one swing change things for Harper?
"In my mind, I'm hoping so. Definitely," he said.
Harper missed 57 games because of a torn ligament in his left thumb, returning June 30. He immediately caused a stir that day by publicly offering suggestions for how Williams should arrange his lineup.
After Harper went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in a loss to the Mets on Tuesday, Williams was asked Wednesday whether it would be a bad idea to send Harper to the minors. When a reporter followed up during Williams' pregame news conference, the manager vented, saying: "The minute you think you can read my freaking mind, you're sorely mistaken."
The Nationals now head into a three-game series beginning today at the reeling second-place Atlanta Braves. Atlanta was off Thursday after an 0-8 road trip against the Dodgers, Padres and Mariners.
"They're going to want our throat," Harper said.
"We know these three games will be big because they're right on our tails," said Craig Stammen (2-4), who worked three scoreless innings for the victory Thursday:
He was Washington's seventh pitcher. The Mets used eight. Closer Jenrry Mejia left after giving up two hits in his only inning of work, the 12th, and said afterward his right calf was "just a little bit tight."
Hours after he left the mound following his 6 1/3 innings of work, Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann was thrilled with the way Harper ended the game.
"We're all pulling for him," Zimmermann said. "Hopefully he gets out of this little rut he's in."
CUBS 6, ROCKIES 2 Rookie Javier Baez hit two home runs and drove in four runs Thursday, leading Chicago over host Colorado. The Cubs' 21-year-old prized prospect also singled to back rookie Kyle Hendricks (3-1).
BREWERS 3, GIANTS 1 Wily Peralta became the first 14-game winner in the majors this season, earning his fifth consecutive victory and pitching Milwaukee past visiting San Francisco. Peralta (14-6) struck out a career-high nine in 6 2/3 innings. He gave up seven hits and walked one.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
YANKEES 1, TIGERS 0 Shane Greene capped a series of fine starting pitching, working into the ninth inning before watching closer David Robertson get pinch-hitter Miguel Cabrera to ground into a double play as host New York edged Detroit. The Yankees took two of three in games started by the Tigers' Cy Young Award winners with spectacular efforts from their rotation. But New York's rookie had the best outing of them all against the AL Central leaders.
Sports on 08/08/2014