Bryce Harper homers in Nats' 10-3 loss

With no consistent threats surrounding Bryce Harper in the lineup, the Nationals slugger doesn't get many opportunities to show his power these days. Boosted by a 5-1 lead in the sixth inning last night, Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson challenged with a first-pitch heater and Harper walloped it deep over the right-center field wall for his National League-leading 31st homer.

Harper's home run drew the Nats within three momentarily, but that's as close as they got as Milwaukee answered with five runs in the seventh.

"Just a tough outing," Harper said about the Nats' 10-3 lopsided loss. "Sometimes baseball plays that way. We just got to come in (Saturday) with a good attitude and do what we can and just kind of ride it out until we get going for a couple more games."

With the Mets blasting the Rockies 14-9 behind Yoenis Cespedes' three-homer, seven-RBI night, the Nationals have now fallen five games back in the race for the NL East crown. At 60-61 and losers in eight of the last 10, the Nationals still haven't pressed the emergency button.

"I think we want to go in and try to win every single game we play," Harper said. "Just try to play hard and play well. We just got to go out there and play the game and just see what we do on a daily basis. If we can go out there and look ourselves in the mirror and just say that we played hard that night, then that's good enough for me. Just try to win ballgames as much as we can, but try to have some fun and enjoy this game."

Harper, who made his major league debut in April 2012, shared the field for a couple innings with Trea Turner last night. The Nats top prospect went 0-for-2 with two groundouts in his big league debut after entering for Ian Desmond at shortstop on a double switch in the seventh.

"We didn't see much," Harper said when asked about Turner. "It's great to have him up here. We just want to try to win ballgames. If that's with him in the lineup or Desi in the lineup or (Danny Espinosa) or Yunel (Escobar) or (Anthony) Rendon, I don't really care. I just want to win ballgames. If he can help us, then he should be up here. He's got some speed, I can see that."