Bryce Harper wants to win a World Series with Jonathan Papelbon next year

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper didn't play in today's 5-1 win over the Reds. The National League Most Valuable Player frontrunner was held out of the lineup for disciplinary reasons resulting from yesterday's dugout fight with closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Following the 5-1 win over the Reds in the home finale, Harper spoke for the first time since receiving the punishment.

"I don't want to be out of the lineup, of course," Harper said. "It's something where I just want to play the game and play hard. It was unfortunate what happened yesterday. You don't expect to fight your teammates or anything like that. It's definitely something that, as the Nationals, we don't pride ourselves on that. We're a family in here.

"We want to do the things we can to contribute every day - if that's a bullpen guy or if that's a starter out there on the field or if that's a guy on the mound. We have to go about it the right way every single day. If we want to win a World Series, we all gotta stick together and do the things we need to do to win ballgames. At the end of the day, that's the biggest thing. I want to win."

After Harper said he thought he was punished for being part of the altercation, a reporter shouted, "Papelbon grabbed your neck. What did they expect you to do?"

"I don't know," Harper chuckled. "It's something that if you're in a bar or if you're in the dugout or if you're anywhere, if somebody grabs your neck, your first reaction is to do what I did, I guess. Like I said, it's something that happens in the game. It happens in life. There's nothing I can do about it now. It's just what happened."

Today's game was just the eighth contest Harper missed all season while carrying the Nationals with staggering offensive numbers coupled with superb defense. Harper plays the game with a high level of intensity and competitiveness, leaving him unclear why Papelbon chose to single him out publicly and verbally for not hustling out a fly ball yesterday.

"I don't know," Harper said. "I think that's just how the game works sometimes. Sometimes it boils over. That's part of it. Everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to play hard. Everybody wants to do what they can to help this team win.

"I've been preaching it all year. I want to stay in the lineup every single day. I want to play as hard as I can every single day for not just me personally, but for everybody in this clubhouse and everybody in those stands and everybody in the city."

When Harper spoke briefly after Sunday's game, he didn't seem overly enthusiastic about Papelbon's apology. But Harper seemed more open about approaching 2016 with a clean slate when he talked today.

"If Pap's gonna help us win a World Series next year, that's what I need," Harper said. "That's what this whole clubhouse needs and they need me to do the same thing. We need to be in the lineup every single day and we can't be fighting or anything like that. That's just part of it. As much as I need him, he needs me. I attribute that to us being a family in here and doing the things we need to do to win World Series. And he's part of that.

"I think being able to go into next year and do the things we need to do, we'll worry about next year. But if he's gonna be our closer, he's gotta do what he can to help this team win. And the same thing with me. I gotta go in every single day to help this team win, and that's every single guy in this clubhouse. It takes 25 guys and not just one."

Harper indicated that he would like to talk to Papelbon in person, if possible, in the near future. Nationals manager Matt Williams said earlier today that Papelbon will not travel with the team on its season-ending road trip as the veteran reliever serves his two suspensions.

Being out of today's lineup meant Harper's home season ended storming down the ramp into the clubhouse yesterday after the fight. That left the crowd at Nationals Park unable to show their appreciation to Harper for a truly spectacular year.

"I think I got three more years at Nats Park, so I think I'm OK," Harper joked. "Being able to play in front of these fans has been a lot of fun for me. I have three more years to play here and hopefully a lot longer. It's somewhere I love to play and it's somewhere I love to be."