Nationals slugger Bryce Harper had eight walks, four home runs and nine RBIs in his first 25 plate appearances this season, but until the third inning of Wednesday’s 7-1 loss to the Braves he didn’t have a strikeout.
With two out in third inning, Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz did the honors by striking out Harper on four pitches. The right-hander threw a 97-mph first-pitch fastball for a ball, then Harper struck out swinging at three consecutive fastballs -- a pair of 96-97 mph four-seamers sandwiched around an 89-mph sinker.
Then he struck out Harper again to start the sixth inning, leaving Harper 0-for-2 with a walk and two strikeouts on the day against Foltynewicz, who was replaced one batter later in the sixth after allowing a Matt Adams double with the Braves leading 5-1.
Foltynewicz had eight strikeouts in 5-1/3 innings and limited the Nationals to four hits, one run and two walks, plus two wild pitches and a hit batter. He ended an eight-start winless stretch dating to early August and outpitched reigning two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, who was charged with six hits, five runs (two earned) and two walks in five innings.
Harper’s strikeout in the third inning was the fifth of the game for Foltynewicz, who had struck out the last two batters of the first inning – Adams and Trea Turner -- with two runners on base and struck out the first two batters of the second inning.
Harper entered Wednesday’s series finale at SunTrust Park with a 16-game hitting streak against the Braves, the longest active streak by any player against the team. That streak was snapped by an 0-for-3 day with two walks, with Harper popping out in the ninth inning with bases loaded against closer Arodys Vizcaino.
Harper had four walks and a three-run homer in the Nationals’ series-opening win, then homered off Julio Teheran in Tuesday’s 13-6 Braves win, Harper’s eighth homer in 39 at-bats against the Braves’ opening-day starter.
Before Wednesday, Harper hit .400 (6-for-15) with four homers through five games and was tied for the major league RBI lead (nine) with three other players, including the Braves’ Freddie Freeman.
