As is so often the case for the 22-year-old outfielder with a keen eye and a thunderous swing, Harper made sure the first-inning defeat was a one-time occurrence.
In the third inning, with two Washington runs already in and Anthony Rendon on first base, Harper and Miller engaged in a 10-pitch standoff. Miller used his high-80s cutter and mid-90s fastball to get ahead early, but Harper worked the count full over the next seven pitches, content to spoil away until he saw something worth hitting.
"It's difficult to say what's going through his mind at that point, but it looks like he's just trying to hit a single," Nationals manager Matt Williams said.