Harper connects again in twinbill

Bryce Harper is producing as many Nationals fans expected, adding another homer, three more RBIs and a stolen base in his Class A doubleheader on Thursday.

An 18-year-old outfielder with an abundance of attention surrounding him, Harper has picked it up at the plate lately -- a longball, a homer, a single, a stolen base and a walk helped the reigning No. 1 pick up his average to .323 through his first month.

Harper's fifth home run in the first game of Thursday's twinbill -- the completion of Wednesday's rain-suspended contest, a 14-2 West Virginia win -- came before going 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the nightcap, a 3-2 Hagerstown victory.

It's been an eventful week for the Nationals' top prospect, who, besides collecting four home runs and 11 RBIs in his last six games, has also been at the center of a benches-clearing incident and a faceoff with last year's No. 2 overall pick.

Harper's productive night actually began Wednesday, when he and the Suns got in two innings against Jameson Taillon, the Pirates prospect who was drafted immediately after Harper last summer, before rain put an end to play. The game resumed Thursday afternoon, with Harper blasting his fifth career homer off reliever Trent Stevenson in the eighth inning.

The home run came, though, with the Suns trailing 14-1. The College of Southern Nevada product kept it going in the regularly scheduled contest, delivering an RBI single in the first for a 1-0 lead. He doubled home Blake Kelso in the fourth before stealing third, his fourth theft of the year.

He finished the second game 2-for-3, his third multi-hit effort in his last five games.