Bryce Harper: "I'm trying to come in here and play as hard as I can no matter what"

The Nationals seemed to be in prime position to not only tie last night's game in the seventh inning but potentially surge ahead of the Padres. After San Diego right-hander Shawn Kelley issued a bases-loaded walk to Anthony Rendon to cut the Nats' deficit to three, left-hander Marc Rzepczynski entered the game to face Bryce Harper.

Down 0-1 in the count, Harper delivered as he has all season, muscling a slider to center for a two-RBI single, making it a one-run game with still just one out and runners at the corners.

"I felt good," Harper said. "I thought I was going to get a first-pitch heater on the inside half. Tried to step in a bucket and hit it as far as I could, and then tried to lock in a little bit more, tried to battle it off. And then I got a pitch over the heart of the plate, just tried to not do too much with it and get those guys in. Just tried to have a good at-bat obviously."

The rally ended prematurely, though, when Yunel Escobar grounded into a double play on Rzepczynski's 3-0 sinker, leaving the Nats one-run short in their last substantial scoring chance of the night. Ryan Zimmerman, who already had two RBIs on the night and seven over his last three games, was standing in the on-deck circle. The Nationals went on to lose 6-5.

"That inning, I think that was an inning that could've lasted a little bit longer," Harper reflected on the incomplete comeback. "Definitely you want to try to get Zim up in that situation in the seventh, but it just didn't roll that way. Yuni's been great for us all year. Just happens that way sometimes. ... So, just a bummer.

"I think that shows how much battle we have in us. As a team, as an organization, we want to scratch and claw as best we can down to the last out. I thought we battled the best we could (last night), and had some good chances and made some good opportunities in good situations."

Harper hasn't received many opportunities to drive in runs over the past two months with the Nationals' inconsistent and fluctuating lineup. The young slugger has RBIs in only four of the 23 contests he has played in August (eight total RBIs) while teams continue to pitch around him.

Despite owning the majors' best slugging percentage (.639) and second highest batting average (.332), Harper has dropped down to 18th place with 76 RBIs.

Harper also had his seventh outfield assist of the season and 37th of his career in the sixth inning last night when he doubled up Padres starter Tyson Ross at second base after making a catch on Yangervis Solarte's deep fly to right.

In the fourth inning, Harper was involved in a quick decision play that resulted in the Padres' fifth run of the game. With Austin Hedges on third and one out, Solarte lifted a shallow foul ball up the right field line. Zimmerman, Rendon and Harper pursued with Zimmerman making the over-the-shoulder grab for the out. Zimmerman wheeled and threw to the plate, but his throw died short as the tagging Hedges scored easily.

"It was just a ball in the Bermuda Triangle kind of place," Harper explained. "I thought (Zimmerman) had a pretty good beat on it. I could've possibly had him toss it to me and me throw it to the plate, but that might've just been the only thing in my head that I was thinking at that moment. But, I didn't want to call it, and then I drop it and a guy gets a base knock and two runs score and we look dumb as, dumb as dirt. So, just tried to let him catch that ball, and sometimes it just happens that way."

With 37 games remaining, the Nationals have fallen 6 1/2 games behind the National League East-leading Mets.

"Personally, I'm trying to come in here and play as hard as I can no matter what," Harper reiterated. "These fans expect that."