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Sports

Homer-happy Harper, Nats go for sweep of Braves

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Bryce Harper home run binge is getting out of hand.

Harper has left the ballpark six times in the last three games (12 RBI) and hopes to slug the Washington Nationals to their first sweep of the season Sunday versus the Atlanta Braves.

The talented outfielder was the hero in Saturday's 8-6 win over the Braves and belted the game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Nationals blew a 6-1 lead and watched the Braves rally to tie the game with three runs in the top of the eighth.

Then the stage was set for Harper.

Harper stepped to the plate after Yunel Escobar singled and Jayson Werth struck out, crushing Cody Martin's offering over the wall in center field and lifting Washington to its third straight win and ninth in 11 tries.

"He's the hottest player in the world right now," Martin said of Harper. "He's putting good swings on everything."

Ryan Zimmerman clubbed a three-run homer and Jose Lobaton added a two-run shot among his three hits for the Nationals. Doug Fister started for the Nationals and gave up three runs in six innings. Aaron Barrett struggled in relief with three runs allowed and Drew Storen posted the win in the ninth.

The Nationals will head west next to face Arizona and San Diego.

Jordan Zimmermann will make his seventh start of the season for Washington Sunday and is 2-2 with a 4.15 earned run average. Zimmermann did not record a decision in Monday's 6-4 victory over Miami and yielded two runs -- one earned -- in seven innings.

The talented right-hander defeated Atlanta on April 29 with seven solid innings and was touched for four runs (3 earned) with seven strikeouts and one walk. He has issued just one walk in his past three trips to the mound.

Zimmermann has made 11 career starts against Atlanta, going 5-2 with a 3.03 ERA.

Atlanta looks to salvage this set in D.C. and had won four of six games before the series started at Nationals Park. Pedro Ciriaco had a two-run double in the seventh inning to pull the Braves within 6-3, while Andrelton Simmons scored on a groundout and Christian Bethancourt plated two runs with a double to tie the game in the eighth.

Martin then served up Harper's 11th homer of the season.

"I was trying to get a good AB (at-bat). Being able to go up there and see a pitch I can deliver, and I got it going," Harper said.

Braves starter Julio Teheran avoided a decision and struggled in five innings, charged with six runs and 10 hits.

The Braves still have Cincinnati and Miami to visit on this journey.

Alex Wood will try to avoid losing a third straight start when he takes the mound Sunday for Atlanta. Wood dropped his second appearance in a row with Monday's 5-2 loss to Philadelphia and allowed three runs on nine hits over a season-low 4 1/3 innings.

Wood is 1-2 with a 4.32 earned run average in six starts and has given up eight runs during his losing streak. He allowed five runs in five innings of a 13-4 loss to Washington on April 29 and is 3-2 with a 2.40 ERA in seven career starts against the Nationals.

Atlanta has lost Wood's last five outings and is 1-5 when he starts.

Washington won two of three meetings in Atlanta from April 27-29.