It has been a rough first half of the season for Bryce Harper Wilmer Flores Jersey , as the superstar from the Washington Nationals has struggled at the plate.Harper has shown the ability to hit the long ball with 23 home runs and 54 runs batted in, but he is hitting just .214 and the Nationals are flailing in the National League East.As disappointing as things have been for Harper, he is starting for the National League in the All-Star Game on Tuesday and competing in the Home Run Derby on Monday. A win in the long ball contest could be the first step for Harper to get back on track as he approaches free agency at the end of the season.Harper is one of seven National Leaguers competing in the Derby, and he is the second seed in the event. Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros is the lone American Leaguer taking part in the contest, which will be held at Nationals Park at 8 p.m. ET. The Home Run Derby will be televised by ESPN.FOX Sports: MLB MLBONFOXThe bracket for the 2018 MLB Home Run Derby! tai9MAU4yGHere's how the competition breaks down:Bracket 1(1) Jesus Aguilar, Milwaukee Brewers vs. (8) Rhys Hoskins, Philadelphia Phillies(4) Alex Bregman, Houston Astros vs. (5) Kyle Schwarber, Chicago CubsBracket 2(2) Harper, Washington Nationals vs. (7) Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves(3) Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (6) Javier Baez, Chicago CubsAguilar has come into his own this season and reached the All-Star break with 24 home runs and 70 RBI. Aguilar has a .298/.373/.621 slash line. In addition to providing power in the middle of the Brewers lineup, Aguilar has an outgoing personality and is often demonstrative after he hits a long ball. He is likely to be quite animated in the Derby and has an excellent chance to become a crowd favorite.Aguilar will battle Hoskins in the first round http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-neil-walker-jersey , and the Phillies slugger is capable of getting on a hot streak. Hoskins has hit 14 home runs, but if he gets started early, he should be able to challenge Aguilar.Houston Astros astrosHes in DC to make some noise.ABREG_1 is headed to the Home Run Derby! 4hB71fMOW7Bregman has hit 20 home runs for the Astros, and that's one more than he had all of last season. He has a .288/.389/.539 slash line and is clearly a key performer for the defending world champions. Bregman will start at third base for the American League in Tuesday night's All-Star Game.The 24-year-old will have an uphill fight on his hands against Schwarber, who is one of the game's most explosive sluggers. Schwarber has hammered 18 homers to this point, and he has an excellent chance to hit the longest home runs of the night, based on the distance of some of his longest blasts.While Harper has been struggling this year, Freeman has been one of the most consistent hitters in either league. Freeman has 16 home runs and 61 RBI to go with a .315/.405/.533 slash line, but he is more of a line-drive hitter than a long-ball one.Freeman makes it a point to hit nothing but line drives when he takes batting practice, but he should turn it on for the Derby.Muncy is one of the top stories of the season, as he has earned a regular spot in the Dodgers lineup and has played a key role in the team's turnaround following a brutal start. Muncy has hit 22 home runs with a .604 slugging percentage.Muncy will face one of the game's hottest and most explosive hitters in Baez. The Cubs' slick-fielding second baseman has belted 19 home runs and knocked in 72 runs, and he has two homers and seven RBI in his last six games.Harper is the +225 favorite to win the event in front of his home fans, according to OddsShark. A $100 bet on Harper will give the bettor a $225 profit if he is successful. Schwarber is the +350 second choice, while Baez and Aguilar are listed at +500. Bregman is the outsider in the field at +1000. MILWAUKEE (AP) — The first pitch Eric Thames swung at made him look foolish — a looping curveball that bounced at the plate.“I was like Adrian Gonzalez Jersey , ‘OK, see the ball and trust whatever happens, happens,'” Thames said.Thames found what he was looking for, hitting a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth off embattled Rockies closer Wade Davis, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat Colorado 5-3 on Friday night.“I got a pitch to hit and I didn’t miss it,” said Thames, who hit the second walk-off homer of his career. “That was awesome. Seeing it, feeling it with the sweet spot off the bat and then seeing the team’s reaction and the crowd’s, that was an awesome moment.”Not for Davis. It was his sixth blown save of the season and his second in as many days after losing in St. Louis on Thursday.Davis (1-5) struck out Mike Moustakas to start the inning before allowing a pair of one-out walks. After Jonathan Schoop popped out, Thames hit a 1-1 fastball deep into the right-field bleachers to end it.“I was definitely trying to go about 10 to 12 inches higher,” Davis said. “We had thrown a couple curveballs in a row. I was going to go back to it. I just wanted to get one up and in.”Miller Park continues to be a house of horrors for Davis, who also allowed a walk-off homer to Travis Shaw in his last appearance at Milwaukee with the Cubs on Sept. 23, 2017. It wasn’t forgotten in the dugout.“Our guys were talking about last year when Shaw hit the walk-off against Chicago off Davis: ‘You remember that? Let’s go Jose Bautista Jersey , let’s get him again,'” Thames said. “We did.”Padres manager Bud Black said he’ll talk with Davis, who has blown his last three save opportunities against the Brewers, but had no plans to replace him.“This happens in baseball. You hate to see it. Wade has been such a great closer throughout his career. He’s been through this,” Black said. “He will respond.”SWEET DREAMSThames’ late heroics turned around what had been a pitchers’ duel in which the Rockies’ German Marquez got the better of Junior Guerra.Marquez allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in seven innings. He struck out nine and retired 15 in a row at one point.Guerra went eight innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six.Guerra had been sent home earlier in Milwaukee’s seven-game road trip to get a good night’s rest because of a late start in the series finale in Los Angeles. The rest of the Brewers straggled home at 6 a.m. local time Friday following a 21-5 loss to the Dodgers that set a franchise record for runs allowed.“I got a good sleep,” Guerra said.STAT LINESCorbin Burnes (2-0) came in with a runner on first in the ninth and retired the side for the win.Christian Yelich homered for Milwaukee, while Trevor Story and Carlos Gonzalez went deep for the Rockies.MINOR HOLLIDAYOF Matt Holliday went 2 for 4 with a walk in his first appearance for Triple-A Albuquerque since signing a minor-league contract with the Rockies on Monday. The 38-year-old Holliday hit .231 with 19 homers and 64 RBIs last year with the Yankees.TRAINER’S ROOMRockies: The training staff checked LF Gerardo Parra’s left hand after he appeared to jam it when he was caught stealing in the second. He remained in the game. Marquez also received attention from the training staff after being hit by Moustakas’ liner in the sixth, but came back throwing in the upper 90s.Brewers: RHP Matt Albers (right shoulder) has struggled since coming off the disabled list on July 28, giving up eight runs and recording just two outs over three appearances.UP NEXTRockies left-hander Tyler Anderson (6-3, 3.69 ERA) is holding hitters to a .144 average over his last six starts but has been plagued with a lack of run support. Milwaukee rookie Freddy Peralta (4-2, 3.61) faces the Rockies for the second time in his career. His first appearance against them was electric. The right-hander struck out 13 over 5 2/3 innings, taking a no-hitter into the sixth in his MLB debut in Colorado.