Early Fourth of July fireworks at Nationals Park (Nats win 11-4)

The big show is later tonight on the National Mall, but there already have been some early fireworks on South Capitol Street today. (Sorry, I believe I was legally obligated to make that hacky joke.)

The Mets have launched two home runs off Joe Ross, including José Reyes' shot down the right field line on the day's third pitch. The Nationals have scored a pair of runs themselves, but took the more traditional tact of manufacturing those.

Reyes pounced on Ross' 0-2 fastball, sending it soaring into the second deck just inside the foul pole, causing a stir a stadium that was still filling up with just-arriving fans.

Ross has labored early on, but he avoided any more damage through the remainder of the first, second and third innings before René Rivera pounced on a first-pitch slider in the top of the fourth, sending it flying over the center field wall.

The Nationals came out swinging against Seth Lugo, who needed all of four pitches to retire the side in the bottom of the first. They took a more patient approach in the bottom of the third, and that produced the results they were seeking.

Jose Lobaton led off with a single, then advanced to second on Michael A. Taylor's perfectly placed bunt single. After Wilmer Difo sent a drive to the warning track in center that was caught, Bryce Harper looped a base hit just beyond Reyes' reach behind shortstop to drive in the Nats' first run of the day. Moments later, Daniel Murphy lined another two-out single to left to drive in the second run.

Update: The Nationals were stymied by Lugo the first time through the order. They weren't the second or third times. With five straight hits in the bottom of the fifth, the Nats put the hammer down on the Mets starter and wound up taking a 6-2 lead. Difo, Harper, Murphy, Adam Lind and Ryan Raburn all delivered in succession, with some help from a bad New York defense.

Update II: So the Mets loaded the bases via walks to bring Murphy to the plate in the bottom of the sixth. A bit of a curious strategy, given his success against them, but OK, let's see how this plays out ... yeah, Murphy singled to right to record his 9,576th and 9,577th RBIs against the Mets in the last two seasons. He has driven in four today, and the Nationals now lead 9-2 after six innings. Remarkably, they still need one more to match their average run support for Ross.

Update III: And they managed not only to match their average run support for Ross, but actually increase it. Yes, the Nats scored two more in the bottom of the eighth (including Murphy's fourth hit and fifth RBI of the day) and finished off an 11-4 trouncing of the Mets, who got a two-run homer from Jay Bruce off Oliver Pérez with two outs in the ninth. Not a bad Independence Day for the home ballclub.