Dave Nichols: Defining moment is Nationals' to seize

On Monday night, the Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 2-1. It might not seem like that big of a deal, but as each game passes we inch closer to the end of the regular season, with every game taking on additional meaning and importance.

The past few seasons, the Braves have stood in the way of the Nats' playoff hopes, as the Phillies once did before they all got old at the same time. The divisional rivalry with the Braves has been studded with losses - particularly late, close losses that sting more than a blowout or a pedestrian 5-2 deal.

The Nats are 5-9 against the Braves this season after the win, and 11-22 the past two seasons combined. It's like they say, if one team wins all the time it's not much of a rivalry. But Monday night's game had a different air to it. The Nationals came in leading the division by seven games, extending it to eight with the win. If they can win the series - or, heaven forbid, sweep - it would be a defining moment in this rivalry and a chance to put the Braves away for good this year. And perhaps rest some players down the stretch.

Doug Fister, who threw an eight-inning gem against the Braves earlier this year, was the perfect pitcher to draw the first start of this series. He hasn't been part of most of the past losses to Atlanta, blissfully unaware of the usually heartbreaking defeats that have mounted. Fister might not be the most talented pitcher on the roster, but his performance this year - really, all during his career - defines who he is: a winning pitcher.

The Braves are a bunch of free-swinging mistake hitters, and Fister doesn't make many. His last couple of starts weren't quite up to his usual standard, but he came through Monday with a start for the ages. Then manager Matt Williams went into full playoff mode, micro-managing the bullpen, even lifting Tyler Clippard - perhaps the Nats' most reliable reliever the past four seasons - in favor of lefty Matt Thornton to face lefty-swinging Freddie Freeman.

That Thornton didn't get the job done is irrelevant; it is predictive of how important this series is to Williams and the rest of the organization. This is the Nats' opportunity to, for lack of a better term, put their foot on the collective throats of the Braves and finish them, once and for all.

Much like the Nationals had to go through the Phillies to exorcise their demons in 2012 to make the playoffs, they now face the Braves in what could be another defining moment for this franchise. They are off to a good start.

Dave Nichols is editor-in-chief of District Sports Page and co-hosts the "Nats Nightly" Internet radio show. Read Nichols' Nationals observations as part of MASNsports.com's season-long initiative of welcoming guest bloggers to our site. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.