Harper can't deliver in ninth and is seeing less opportunity to impact games

Unless the Nationals can get some power from those around Bryce Harper in the lineup, this is how it's going to be for the slugger the rest of the season: lots of walks. The Rockies defeated the Nationals 5-4 thanks to a grand slam from Carlos Gonzalez in the eighth. The Nationals had one last chance in the bottom of the ninth. With a man on, Harper battled right-hander Tommy Kahnle to a 3-2 count before striking out on an 89 mph changeup. Earlier, Harper singled and came around to score on a double from Ryan Zimmerman. Harper's speed played a big role in the ease with which he scored all the way from first. Harper was walked two times Friday night. In the sixth, he scored after a walk. In the seventh, Harper was forced out at second after another free pass. In the last four games, Harper has been walked seven times. Harper has been issued a career-high 81 free passes already this season in 102 games. Last season he played only 100 games and was walked 38 times. In 2012, he walked 56 times in 139 games. In 2013, Harper walked 61 times in 118 games. One major reason is Harper has been patient, taking pitches he might have swung at in the past. Another reason is the lack of protection around him in the lineup. For most of the season, opponents have only had to worry really about Harper's power and not those around him doing game changing damage in a game. Zimmerman was important behind Harper on Friday, getting on base two times with less than two outs with a walk, and an RBI double. But whether or not Zimmerman is hot isn't affecting Harper and the pitches he sees. "I really don't think it matters at this point," Harper said. "Guys are gonna throw me balls off the plate and see if I'm can chase them and throw me balls on the plate if they want to. Another two walks today. Trying to be as patient as I can be up there. Hopefully Zim can come through behind me and (Jayson Werth) and so on. We got a great lineup. Anybody you pitch to you're going to pick your poison." The philosophy is fairly transparent: don't let Harper beat you. And yet even after the Gonzalez grand slam, the Nationals still had a shot as Harper stepped in against Kahnle in the bottom of the ninth. "I was sitting on that split finger he throws," Harper said. "Threw me some heaters but didn't really want to swing at the heaters, didn't think they would be over the plate at all. Sat on those two split fingers, swung at both of them. I executed my plan. So I'm happy about that. Definitely wished I had a better outcome for the game but executed my plan up there." Manager Matt Williams broke down the at-bat and said they had the right guy up in the right situation. It just didn't work out in this matchup. "He threw him fastball for a strike and he swung at two changeups," Williams said. "They're just down out of the zone. That's the guy we want up there in that situation. We'll take our chances every single time." But the Nationals do need someone else to step up with a power bat to help Harper out. Zimmerman appears to be the closest to filling that role. "For him it's middle of the diamond, right center field and he's done that," Williams said. "Last night he hit a double off the center field wall and tonight again to right center field. When he's swinging good he's hitting the ball that way. In recent days he's hit the homer to left as well. I like where he's at."