Ryan Zimmerman was reluctantly atop the dugout steps again around 9:45 p.m. The level-headed Zimmerman seemed to feel a bit more pain the second time he was beckoned to show himself for additional adulation. Fans just wanted to deliver a final message on a record-setting night. He waved, accepting the roar of a second curtain call, then retreated.
Zimmerman had hit two homers during a 5-for-5 night. He had broken yet another Expos/Nationals franchise record, this one for career RBI, with the first of those homers. These things summon a homegrown player from the dugout, even if he would rather dine on concrete than knowingly project himself into the spotlight.