Nats reap rewards as Harper, Stras reach potential

WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper’s two career grand slams, both of which have come this season, have an unusual fact in common. Each time, the runner on third base has been right-hander Stephen Strasburg.

“I guess it’s all on me,” Strasburg said with a laugh last week in Miami. “I have to somehow get to third.”

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Ever since Strasburg and Harper were selected No. 1 overall in the 2009 and ’10 Drafts, respectively, they were labeled as the future faces of the Nationals franchise. But a combination of inconsistency and injuries had prevented them from maintaining a high level of performance on the field at the same time.

They are both playing to their full potential now, and they are two major reasons the Nats have the best record in the Major Leagues at 14-4.

While Harper has grabbed headlines as perhaps the best player in baseball, Strasburg has recently taken his place among the Majors’ best pitchers. Dating back to Aug. 1 of last season — when he fully recovered from neck and upper back injuries that plagued him at the beginning of the year — Strasburg owns a 1.98 ERA, the third best in the Majors behind Jake Arrieta (0.53) and Clayton Kershaw (1.54).

“He’s coming into his own,” Harper said. “It’s incredible. You see what he did in college, he had so much pressure going through the Minors, coming up and everything, got hurt, trying to get back into it with his ankle and …

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