When you put up a touchdown and two field goals in the first three innings the rest of the game becomes a lot easier.

Such was the lesson for my hometown Washington Nationals yesterday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Nats scored 16 runs while socking eight home runs in the game, tying a franchise record. This, mere hours after surrendering eight homers (that’s got to be a record) in a devastating 14-inning loss against those same Brewers. (The final score of that one was 15-14. Damn those Brewers and their two-point conversion.)

Don’t look now but the Nationals have some breathing room in the NL Wild Card race. They are a full game and a half up on the Cubs for the top Wild Card spot, and three and a half up on the Brewers, Mets, and Phillies, who sit tied for sixth overall. Each team in that trio is 64-60, meaning the Nats (67-56) sit four up in the loss column. That’s called sittin’ pretty.

Tuesday, October 1st: Wild Card… book it.