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Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper leads the way on both sides of the ball

By Blake Finney

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 22: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with Juan Soto #22 after hitting a solo home run Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Nationals Park on July 22, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 22: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with Juan Soto #22 after hitting a solo home run Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Nationals Park on July 22, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Bryce Harper led the Washington Nationals to a key win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. He hit a bomb and had a key play on defense in the 6-2 victory.

The Washington Nationals wrapped up an abbreviated series against the Atlanta Braves with a 6-2 win. Bryce Harper was the catalyst as he starred on both sides of the ball.

The outfielder went 3 for 8 on the weekend, with the long-ball and other base hits. Could the HR Derby victory help him perform down the stretch?

We’ll see. But given the start to the second half he’s had, it’s a promising start. Here’s the homer in all its glory.

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But not only did he hit that dinger, he was able to nail Ronald Acuna trying to extend a single to a double. He collected the ball straight off the wall and fired a 94 mph bullet to get Acuna.

While the range leaves a lot to be desired, Harper has been much better in CF than we thought. Hopefully, it’s the start of a mammoth finish to the year.

Herrera works five-out save

Since arriving in D.C. Kelvin Herrera had been struggling badly out of the bullpen. He had a 4.22 ERA and had allowed three home runs in just 10.2 innings.

He went a little way to correcting his poor form on Sunday, recording five outs for his first save as a Nat. Although he had to work around a couple of hits, he managed to hit 99 mph on the radar gun and got his location back.

If he can consistently get his location in the coming weeks, we should start to see the reliever we hoped. That will be even more crucial with Sean Doolittle out for a few weeks.

B-Good dealt to the Royals

Before the game, it was announced that Brian Goodwin had been traded to the Kansas City Royals. It ends his run with the team that drafted him way back in 2011 in the first round.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t work his way into the team’s plans with a glut of performing outfielders. In Kansas City, he’ll have a regular path to playing time, and we hope he can build on his promise with the Royals.

In return, the Nationals got a low-level right-handed relief prospect Jacob Condra-Bogan. Condra-Bogan throws up to 99 and could make his way through the minor leagues quickly. He had 40 strikeouts in just 27 innings, flashing a high ceiling.

Next: DoD Staff Mid-season Review

The Washington Nationals head to Milwaukee to face the Brewers next. It will be a key series against a struggling team, and one the Nats need to capitalize on.

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