WASHINGTON -- When the Phillies faced the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park earlier this month, Bryce Harper pummeled Philadelphia pitching.
So prior to this week's three-game series at Nationals Park, the Phillies' baseball brain trust decided on a different strategy: pitch around the left-handed power hitter, who is again tearing up the National League to the tune of a .318 batting average, nine homers and 24 RBIs entering Thursday.
"When [the Nationals] were at our place, he was hitting everything. I don't care if the pitch was a foot off the ground or over his head, he crushed it," Phillies bench coach Larry Bowa said of Harper, who was 7-for-11 in that series with three homers, six RBIs, 16 total bases and walked only once.