Bryce Harper gives and Bryce Harper takes

If a match sums up Bryce Harper's odd season, it's probably the match between the Phillies and the Brewers last night.

First negative: Harper scored 0-0 on the plate and was eliminated in his first three shots on goal. Because Philly is Philly, the fans at home made it rain after the third punchout. This is something they do with a fairly alarming frequency.

And now the good: With a score equal to 4-4, Mike Moustakas came to the plate for the Brewers with two outs and loaded bases. He tore up a field in the right field that seemed destined to clear the bases, until Harper offered a diving catch:

The Phillies then won the game 7-4, a net score that allows us to call Harper's dive as a catch that saves the game.

That's basically what was done all last season for Harper. Some highlights that have changed the game, which have punctuated the world among many virgin statistics. With last night's punch-out trio, Harper now has 54 innings. He played 19 games in which he was eliminated several times and is currently sitting in 30% of cases, his worst career rate. All this contributed to his interest-free slash line .222 / .367 / .438.

You can understand why Phillies fans might be inclined to boo this man. Here is the player who signed a massive contract and who was supposed to lead a young rising team in the elite class of the MLB. All they have really seen so far is a game inspired by Mark Reynolds. Even the best players must be paralyzed, but there is a difference between watching a guy repeatedly make 0 – while hitting the ball in defense and watching a guy hit several times per game. This guy is supposed to hit the ball! It's frustrating when he does not do it!

And yet, look where the Phillies are: first place in the East of the NL with a 3.5 point lead over the Atlanta Braves. Even Harper, mired in a prolonged slump, was not a complete waste. According to FanGraphs, he has always managed to amass 1.1 WAR, and he is also right behind Mike Trout for the lead role in the MLB. The Phillies are booming and Harper, despite all his difficulties, was part of that success.

But what will happen if the team's fortunes go down and Harper continues to moan at such an alarming rate? Local fans are already booing while the team wins, and it's hard to imagine they'll be nicer if the Phillies prepare to record .500 or even worse. Bryce, in your interest, just start putting the ball in play a little more often.