After plunking, Bryce Harper responds with game-winning homer

FLUSHING, N.Y. - Not that Bryce Harper needed to add anything more to his resume which should result in the National League's MVP award, but late this afternoon the 22-year-old broke a tie with a mammoth two-run blast in the eighth as the Nationals dropped the Mets 3-1 in the series opener.

With Yunel Escobar on first and two outs, Mets right-hander Addison Reed hung a slider and Harper pulverized it, sending the ball soaring to the upper deck right for his 42nd homer, tied for best in the National League.

The home run boosted Harper (.331) back atop the NL's race for the batting title and left him on the doorstep of another milestone with 99 RBIs. After the win, Harper was asked what reaching 100 RBIs would mean.

"It would be awesome," Harper said. "It's something that I think would be great for me. It's something that I could be doing for the first time in my career. I had 98 in college so I was two away. I don't want to get stuck at 99."

Harper's chances claiming the RBI mark decreased as the young slugger is out of the lineup for the second game of the doubleheader tonight. On a 1-1 count in the sixth, Harper was nailed on the left shin by Noah Syndergaard's heater. He was knocked to his knees before walking it off.

"(It feels) as good as a 97 mph fastball can feel off your shin," Harper said with a large ice pack wrapped around his shin. "I feel like he threw it through me. It's not very fun to get hit in the shin with a heater like that."

Harper added: "I want that RBI so hopefully I can play tonight but I won't push it."

The Mets fans booed Harper throughout the game, even once chanting "Pap-el-bon, Pap-el-bon" as the young slugger walked to the plate in the sixth. But in the end, Harper got the last word.

"I respect their fans," Harper said. "It's a lot of fun. I love the way they are. I love that they have pride for their city. They have pride for their team. And you like to see that. When we go and play in Philly, here ... it's a blast going and playing in those places. I respect the fans here. It's fun to chirp and do whatever and just and hang out and play some ball in front of them."

Nationals manager Matt Williams has avoided giving his opinion on the NL MVP race for the past few weeks for fear of placing extra pressure on Harper. But that changed today as Williams was asked if he thinks that Harper is the league's MVP.

"Of course I do," he said. "Without question."