GAME IN A NUTSHELL: The Nationals woke up Tuesday morning looking up at somebody else in the NL East standings for the first time since June 19, with a town suddenly worried about its ballclub’s chances this season. There were some more nervous moments as the second game of this series against the Diamondbacks played out, but then came some impressive performances late to assuage everyone’s fears by night’s end.
The Nats burst out of the gates in dramatic style, with Yunel Escobar leading off the bottom of the first with a homer to straightaway center field.