Bryce Harper in lineup for finale in San Francisco

By Josh Land

Nationals

August 16, 2015, 10:17am

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Bryce Harper, the National League's home run leader, will start in right field this afternoon as the Nationals attempt to prevent a four-game sweep in San Francisco. Harper fouled a ball off his left foot in the seventh inning last night, dropping the young slugger to his knees. He continued the at-bat, lining out to center before heading for the clubhouse. Harper told reporters after the 12-6 loss that X-rays on the left foot were negative.

Bryce Harper red swing.jpg The Nats need Harper's bat in the lineup, facing Giants ace Madison Bumgarner. Harper is 4-for-11 (.363) with two homers off the dominant lefty. That includes a two-run blast with his Stars and Stripes bat this past July 4 at Nationals Park when Washington torched Bumgarner. They scored six runs off the southpaw over five innings in a 9-3 win.

Michael A. Taylor ripped Bumgarner's first pitch of the game over the left field wall.

"He just got ambushed," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Bumgarner. "They jumped him early with a couple mistakes."

For the Nationals:
CF Michael A. Taylor
2B Anthony Rendon
RF Bryce Harper
3B Yunel Escobar
1B Ryan Zimmerman
SS Ian Desmond
LF Jayson Werth
C Wilson Ramos
RHP Joe Ross

For the Giants:
CF Gregor Blanco
3B Matt Duffy
1B Brandon Belt
C Buster Posey
RF Hunter Pence
SS Brandon Crawford
LF Justin Maxwell
2B Kelby Tomlinson
LHP Madison Bumgarner