Harper accomplishes another first

By Dan Kolko

Nationals

May 16, 2012, 4:31pm

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He might have missed out on notching his third home run in as many games by only a few feet, but Bryce Harper accomplished another first in the first inning tonight when he ripped a triple high off the wall in right-center. Harper seems to scratch something else off his major league to-do list pretty much every single night. Tonight it was the triple, which also registered as his ninth extra-base hit in 17 games. The rookie then came around to score one batter later on Ryan Zimmerman's RBI groundout. The Nationals lead 2-1 after five innings, with Ian Desmond's solo homer to left - an absolute bullet - providing their second run. Desmond now has five home runs and 15 RBIs on the season, numbers which make his sub-.310 on-base percentage out of the leadoff spot easier to take. Gio Gonzalez is through five smooth innings having allowed just one run on three hits. The lefty has struck out seven so far and walked just one. He's tossed 74 pitches, 50 for strikes, and struck out four consecutive Pirates hitters at one point. After going just five innings and allowing nine baserunners in that span his last time out, Gonzalez looks like he's back on track tonight.