With Nats looking up at first place, no worries for Bryce Harper

On the heels of last night's 11-4 drubbing by the Diamondbacks, the Nationals find themselves two games behind the Mets for the lead in the Naional League East. Oh, how the tables have turned in one week. Last Thursday at this time, the Nats led the division by two games, fresh off a two-homer, four RBI performance from slugger Bryce Harper in Miami the night before. Behind Max Scherzer, the Nats went on to shut out the Marlins that afternoon to increase their lead to three games heading to New York.

Since the flight north, the Nationals slipped into funk, dropping five of six while the Mets have reeled off six straight. Coincidentally, the last time the Nationals were this far separated from the top of the division was after a 14-6 blowout loss in Arizona on May 12. Clint Robinson pitched in that game and Tyler Moore was forced to come on and face three batters in the ninth last night for the only two times a position player has pitched in a game for the Nationals, ever.

"At the beginning of the season I think if you told me we'd be two games back with 55 games to go, I'd take it any day of the week," Harper said after last night's loss.

Really? Was Harper trying to convince himself of the words that were flying out? What happened to the overflowing confident "Where's my ring" mindset?

"I don't think you can have a bad mentality or bad mind coming into the clubhouse every single day," Harper continued. "We're still going, still doing what we're doing. Just gotta get to swinging it and get comfortable. Try to go about it the right way every single day. Laugh and really try to enjoy the game. That's all that matters.

"Try to enjoy the game, try to laugh and smile. There's bigger things than just baseball in life. Just come in with a clean slate every single day and worry about what you can do to help your team win that day. If that's your first at-bat or your fourth at-bat, it don't matter."

Over this six-game rough patch, Harper is 6-for-23 (.261) with zero homers and no RBIs, but he has scored twice.

"I mean, I'm OK. I'm good," Harper said. "We just gotta keep battling and keep grinding. ... We've got a long ways to go. I'm all fine and dandy."