Best of the decade: Back to the postseason in 2014

As the Nationals celebrate 10 seasons in Washington, D.C., we reflect on some of the best moments since the franchise moved to the nation's capital. Each Wednesday for the next 10 weeks, check out Nationals Pastime for a remembrance of one of the watershed moments in Nationals history.

Some wore ski goggles, others swimming goggles to protect their eyes from the sting of champagne. Bryce Harper donned a D.C. fireman's helmet with his number on it. But all were soaked. Drenched in a combination of tears, beers, sweat and champagne, the Nationals celebrated their second National League East title in three years on Sept. 16, 2014.

Though the Nats weren't able to celebrate in front of their home crowd, it may have been sweeter to clinch in Atlanta, snatching the division away from the Braves, who had been a thorn in their sides for so long.

The Nationals followed their first trip to the playoffs in 2012 with a disappointing campaign the next year. However, they still remained the favorites heading into the 2014 season. But a number of key players were left on the sidelines with injuries for a large chunk of the early part of the year, leaving the Nationals reeling and looking up at the Braves in the standings.

Right-hander Doug Fister, who figured to be a big part of the Nats' imposing rotation, began the season on the DL. Harper was knocked out of action from April 26 to June 30. Wilson Ramos broke his hand on opening day and ended up missing all of April and part of May. Ryan Zimmerman played 10 games in April and then none until June 3.

So after being shut out by the Texas Rangers on the first day of June, the Nationals found themselves one game under .500 and 3 1/2 games behind Atlanta. That was when the turnaround began. The Nats wouldn't play with a losing a record for the remainder of the season. They ran off eight of their next nine to take first place, but the margin remained slim for the next two months - until the improbable happened in August.

Playing 10 consecutive days from Aug. 12-21, the Nationals rolled off 10 straight wins. Half of them came on walk-offs. And when the smoke of the scorching hot streak cleared, the Nationals held a commanding seven-game lead with little more than month left in the season.

"I think it's probably the 10-game winning streak," manager Matt Williams told MASN after clinching. "The walk-offs, the never give up, having the lead and not having the lead and then coming back. Those types of games, you certainly don't expect to win, but we did. That's just perseverance."

By the time the Nationals arrived in Atlanta on Sept. 15, reaching the playoffs was inevitable, as their division lead had ballooned to 11 1/2 games.

The following night, Williams sent right-hander Tanner Roark to the mound. Roark, on a staff full of big-money star pitchers, had emerged as one of the Nats' toughest and most valuable starters in his first year in the rotation and second in the big leagues.

Once again, Roark delivered seven shutout innings, allowing only five Braves to reach base on five singles. Ian Desmond provided all the offense for the Nats, blasting a two-run homer in the sixth and then doubling and scoring in the ninth.

All-Star Tyler Clippard tossed a scoreless eighth and closer Drew Storen pitched a perfect ninth, as the Nationals eliminated the rest of the division with still 12 games remaining on the regular season schedule.

The Nats went on to finish the regular season 30 games above .500 with the NL's best record at 96-66, a whopping 17 games ahead of the Braves and Mets.

Of course, the year ended in disappointment with a loss in four games to the San Francisco Giants in the National League Division Series. But no matter what the expectations, overcoming all of those injuries to dominate at such a high level to win a division title should always be remembered, especially after a marathon 162-game season.

* Miss any of the memorable moments we're highlighting from Nationals history? Here's the list to date:

No. 10: 10-game winning streaks in 2005, 2014
No. 9: Mr. Walk-Off started it all on Father's Day 2006