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 Harper, who drove in four runs, has a career-high 29 homers this
season. Nationals center fielder Michael Taylor hit a solo homer in
the eighth.
"He's got such a forceful, violent swing," Marlins manager Dan
Jennings said of Harper. "He's now learning to control that even
more.
"The hand-eye coordination that he has ... I remember when he first
came up, a lot of people compared him to a young Mickey Mantle --
that type of thunder. (Harper) is a special hitter. He's got great
power."
Harper, 22, now has 84 career homers. Mantle, the former New York
Yankees great, had exactly 84 homers at the end of the 1954 season,
when he was also 22 years old. He finished with 536 homers for his
career.
Wednesday's game-winning homer, in the fifth inning, was Harper's
fourth this season off Marlins right-hander Tom Koehler. Three of
those four homers were hit to the upper deck in right field,
including the one Wednesday.
Harper, who entered the game leading the majors in slugging
percentage and on-base-plus-slugging percentage, has reached base in
44 consecutive road games, the longest streak in the big leagues
this season.
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The win went to Washington starter Doug Fister (4-6), who allowed
four hits, one walk and two runs in six innings.
Miami opened the scoring with a run in the second inning. With two
outs, left fielder Derek Dietrich was hit by a pitch. He scored from
first on an opposite-field double by right fielder Ichiro Suzuki,
who got career hit No. 2,900.
Suzuki became just the eighth player in major league history to
reach 2,900 hits and 500 steals, joining Ty Cobb, Rickey Henderson,
Lou Brock, Barry Bonds, Honus Wagner, Paul Molitor and Eddie
Collins.
(Editing by Julian Linden)
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