But these Nats want to play deep into October, and their strong pitching staff and a trio of All-Stars in the middle of their lineup could give them the strength to do it.
WHAT WENT RIGHT
The Nationals have built their division lead on the backs of their pitching staff, which leads the Majors in ERA at the break. Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg anchor the rotation at the top, backed up by strong contributions from Tanner Roark, Joe Ross and a solid yet inconsistent Gio Gonzalez.