Bryce Harper, after struggling early in Double A, has hit his first home run at the Double-A level on Wednesday. He broke a 1-1 tie to give the Harrisburg Senators a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh inning against the Bowie Baysox, the Baltimore Orioles' affiliate. Harper entered the game hitting just .217 with a .267 on-base percentage and a .273 slugging average in the 18 games since he was promoted to Harrisburg from low Single-A Hagerstown.
Immediately after he homered, Washington Nationals prospect Tim Pahuta blasted another solo shot, giving the Senators a 3-1 lead late in the game. It is unknown whether either player blew kisses at the opposing pitcher.
Harper now has 15 home runs on the season, 14 of which came in Hagerstown. Although he is still not performing up to par with his expectations since moving up to Double-A, Harper's numbers have improved slightly across the board since his abysmal 6-35 slump in his first 10 games with the Senators.