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Dusty Baker on Nationals' slugger Bryce Harper's struggles: "He's kind of in-between..."

The Cubs walked defending NL MVP Bryce Harper 13 times in 19 plate appearances during Washington's four-game visit to Chicago's Wrigley Field earlier this month, with six of the walks coming in seven PAs in the series finale.

Cubs' skipper Joe Maddon talked after the fourth game about the decision to work around the Washington Nationals' 23-year-old slugger, in spite of the fact that Harper wasn't exactly tearing the cover off the ball heading into the series.

"He's kind of in-between," Baker said. "He's ahead of breaking balls and offspeed pitches and he's behind on fastballs.

"You know how good he is and why tempt fate right there?