Reaction to Harper's record-setting home run streak

It looked like Bryce Harper had done it again.

In the top of the 10th, Harper stepped to the plate with an opportunity to give his club the lead for good.

He launched a dramatic solo homer off of Phillies reliever Jeanmar Gomez on a 3-2 count, well above the right-center field wall. The blast gave the Nationals a 2-1 lead.

This time it did not lead to a victory. The Phillies came back for a 3-2 win in 10 innings. But the records are still piling up for Harper with each successive game-changing hit.

* Four straight games with a home run.
* Six straight games at Citizens Bank Park with a home run, matching Ernie Banks as the only player to homer in six straight games in Philadelphia.
* Six homers and 15 RBI through 11 games this season.

Harper trails only Colorado's Trevor Story, who leads the majors with seven home runs. He is tied with Colorado's Nolen Arenado, who also has six homers on the season. Harper is second to Arenado in RBIs (16 to 15). But Story and Arenado have had at least 11 more at-bats than Harper has so far this season.

Harper's .897 slugging percentage and 1.356 OPS are tops in the major leagues.

It's a good way to start the follow-up season to his first National League MVP campaign.

Manager Dusty Baker watched Harper from afar while with Cincinnati or working television broadcasts. Now he has seen Harper through spring training and two weeks of the regular season.

"This is what I heard about," said Baker. "I'd seen it a few times on TV, but what he's doing is MVP star stuff. I've been fortunate to have some great players, played with them and played for me, and he's certainly making his mark."

Harper joined Ernie Banks as the only players to homer in six straight games at Philadelphia. Banks pulled off that feat in 1955.

"That's good company," Baker said.

Starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez got to marvel at what Harper was able to do. He has seen it firsthand as his teammate and admits he has watched to phenom ramp it up from year to year.

"What he's doing is remarkable," Gonzalez said. "He's picking up where he left off last year and he's just been incredible. The way he's swinging the bat, he's so locked in. Let him be Bryce. He knows best. He knows his body. He knows the way he is. The mentality he's going out there is just unreal. It's next level stuff."

Harper was asked about the home run record after yesterday's tough loss. He was happy he was able to contribute, but said it feels better when it also comes with a win.

"We grinded it out today," Harper said. "You always want to win that third one. You always want to get that sweep. We won the series. That's all that matters. Keep winning series, do the things we can all year long, we'll be right where we need to be and I think we're all where we need to be right now. Just hopefully get better and better each day and take this into Miami and play a good Marlins team."