A day later, a few things that stand out in my mind

ATLANTA - I still smell like beer. I've showered twice, shampooed, shampooed, conditioned, conditioned. It just doesn't seem to go away. What a night the Nationals got to enjoy in Atlanta. They clinched their second National League East title in the last three years, did it with a whopping 12 games left in the season and did it on their top rival's field. I feel privileged to have been in the clubhouse as a part of our MASN team conducting interviews with so many of the guys who contributed to this club this season, and thought I'd lay out a few of the moments that stick in my mind a day after all the shenanigans went on. * Drew Storen's comment about the chemistry of this ballclub is the first thing that comes to mind. There are some baseball people who feel that the idea of team chemistry in no way can affect things on the field, that teams that have players who hate each other can win titles and teams that get along great can lose 100 games. That might be true. But Storen wholeheartedly believes that chemistry is important, and says that the cohesiveness that this Nationals team has played a big part in getting it to a division title. * The image of the Nationals' five starting pitchers and their two catchers posing for a group picture, all with huge smiles plastered on their faces, is something that I was happy our cameras got to pick up. These are starters who all had different ways of reaching this point. Stephen Strasburg was a much-hyped No. 1 overall pick. Tanner Roark was a piece in the Cristian Guzman trade, and lost 17 games at Triple-A in 2012. Doug Fister is the experienced, playoff-tested guy. Jordan Zimmermann is the quiet, steady horse. Gio Gonzalez is the lone lefty, the goofball who keeps everyone loose and battled back from injury this season. They're a tight bunch despite their differences, and along with Wilson Ramos and Jose Lobaton, they've done a very nice job the last couple months helping steer the Nats to this point. That picture they all took together was a good one. * It felt a little unusual not having Ryan Zimmerman there. Zimmerman is off rehabbing his strained hamstring in Viera, Fla., and working hard to get back on the field. That's important. But given all that he's been through with this organization, I'm sure Zimmerman would have loved to have been a part of last night's celebration. He was on his teammates' minds throughout the night, you can bet on that. * Mike Rizzo tearing up when discussing how much this division title means to him and the organization showed just how invested he is in this process, not that anyone doubted that. Rizzo made sure to mention the countless scouts, front office guys and behind-the-scenes contributors that helped turn this organization around, and while most of them weren't able to be a part of the champagne celebration (Rizzo even noted that as everyone was popping bottles in Atlanta, some scouts were out doing advance scouting for the Nats' next series), their impact was felt by the Nats general manager. * Denard Span talking about how joining the Nationals helped turn his career around was, I think, a really nice moment. Span didn't intend to take a shot at the Twins last night, but said that he felt stifled in Minnesota, that he wasn't able to really play to his capabilities. Since the All-Star break last season, when Span started feeling more comfortable in a new organization, he's been tremendous, and he mentioned how much confidence the Nationals have helped to instill in him to allow him to improve as a player. * The Nats went nuts last night, and they had their fun. But this didn't match the celebration in 2012 when the Nats clinched the division title at home. I don't mean that in a negative way; in fact, just the opposite. Back in 2012, this was all new for the Nationals, and they enjoyed every second of that division championship. Guys were getting wheeled around in laundry carts, ketchup and mustard were getting sprayed everywhere and it was chaos in the clubhouse. Last night, things were more subdued, in my estimation. The Nats popped bottles, they drank their adult beverages and they went back onto the field to catch the end of a country concert the Braves had on the field. But there's greater focus on the next step this time. The Nats want home-field advantage in the NL. Then they want a postseason series win. Then they want more. It was all new in 2012. It's not this time. And so while the Nats enjoyed their well-earned prize, their celebration was a bit more muted this season. Now I'm going to go shower again.