Harper critical of Nats fans' 'brutal' early departure in loss

The Nationals' displeasure with their fans continues.

After closer Jonathan Papelbon recently vocalized his discontent with the Nats faithful for sitting down during his performance in a close game, slugger Bryce Harper had a bone to pick with the team's contingent on Monday.

Although Nationals Park resembled a playoff atmosphere for the first six innings of the Nationals' 8-5 loss to the Mets on Monday, many of the 34,210 in attendance left during the seventh inning, when the Mets put together a three-run rally to take a decisive lead.

Harper wasn't exactly thrilled about Nats fans' fickleness in a series that is integral to Washington's playoff hopes.

"I mean, they left in the seventh, so that's pretty brutal," Harper said. "I don't know. Whatever."

Although there were stretches during which Monday's game felt like an October affair in Nationals Park, particularly when the Nats put together a five-run fourth started by a grand slam by Wilson Ramos, Harper squashed the notion that it felt like the postseason.

"I mean, playoffs is totally different," the 22-year-old right fielder said. "When we play in the playoffs, our fans are going nuts. They're going crazy. I think the loudest I've ever heard it was probably when me and [Asdrubal] Cabrera went back-to-back in [Game 1 of the 2014 NLDS]. That was pretty insane. Throwing the towels, doing what they're doing, that was pretty incredible. This is a totally different atmosphere than what playoffs is like."

(h/t Washington Post)