Bryce Harper on hitting at Camden Yards: "I can't stand it, actually"

BALTIMORE - Most would expect to hear that Bryce Harper enjoys hitting in Camden Yards - especially with its short porch in right field and homer-welcoming dimensions - but the young slugger's feelings couldn't be more opposite.

"I don't," Harper said after last night's 7-4 Nationals win. "I really don't. I can't stand it, actually. I can't see very well, so hopefully in the daytime (on Sunday) I see it better. I feel like it's a little dark."

Harper is only 5-for-26 with 10 strikeouts in seven career games in Baltimore's beloved ballpark.

"That's pretty bad, huh," he joked last night.

The 22-year-old finally broke through with his first homer at Camden Yards, and it turned out to be the catalyst for a four-run sixth inning, which sparked the Nats to the comeback victory.

"I saw it," Jordan Zimmermann said after benefiting from Harper's blast. "I was watching. He's hit plenty of 'em, so every time he gets up to bat, it's must-see TV."

Zimmermann had to clarify whether he got his eyes on the homer because it was a missile off Baltimore's Miguel Gonzalez, which barely got up in the air before clearing the wall in the right-center field power alley. The blistered ball shot off Harper's bat at 115.4 mph, the second-fastest of his career (117.1 mph in 2013), according to ESPN.

"It was pretty impressive," said Danny Espinosa, whose three-run homer later that inning turned out to be the game-winner. "(Harper) seems to do that a lot. He hits a lot of balls really hard and that ball was crushed."

Harper is 2-for-8 with four strikeouts to go along with the home run in the last two nights against the Orioles.

"He's been a little jumpy the last few games," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "Of course, as you play so many games in a row and you're the main guy in the ballgame all the time, it's easy to get tired. First thing to go is your legs. When that happens, it gets a little jumpy. So he calmed down on that one and got a good pitch to hit."

Harper enters this afternoon's final game before the All-Star break tied with Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt for the best batting average (.341) in the National League. Harper's 26 homers (2nd) and 61 RBIs (4th) leave him in striking position to make a legitimate run at a Triple Crown down the stretch.

"When he puts the head of the bat on it, it's pretty special," Williams said.