Good signs offensively as the games get more meaningful

DENVER - So far in July, the Nationals are hitting an impressive .274 as a team, with a .771 OPS. From March through June, they hit .244 as a team, with a .691 OPS. They've scored 5.07 runs per game in July, up from 4.03 in the season's first three months. They're averaging 3.71 extra-base hits per July contest, compared to 2.69 per game from March through June. The offense, which was fairly hit-or-miss over the season's first three months (no pun intended), has started to come around on a more consistent basis. Guys are reaching base at a higher clip, we're seeing more hits with runners in scoring position, and more frequently crooked numbers are getting put up on the Nats' side of the scoreboard. Jayson Werth is hitting a ridiculous .385/.484/.904 in July. Yes, that's a 1.388 OPS, which leads the majors this month. He also leads the majors in July extra-base hits (15 on six homers and nine doubles) and RBIs (20 in just 14 games played). Ryan Zimmerman is hitting .392/.441/.627 in July. His 1.068 OPS might not be in Werth territory, but Zimmerman's bat has really come alive of late. He has two homers in his last 14 games after hitting three in his first 37 contests, and has driven in 15 runs this month. Denard Span is hitting .351 with a .413 on-base percentage in July. He's drawn six walks compared to just eight strikeouts, has six multi-hit games and scored 11 runs in 14 contests this month. It's not hard to see why the Nats have been doing so much damage offensively of late. Three red-hot hitters combined with a handful of other dangerous bats in the everyday lineup means there aren't many soft spots for an opposing pitching staff to attack. Combine the improved offense with the other ways the Nats had been excelling lately, and it's made for well-rounded ballgames. "We've been playing good ball, doing the little things: Baserunning, defense," Werth said. "That's what it's going to take. If we want to play into the end of October, we're gonna have to continue to do that and continue to win games and pitch and hit and do all the things that it takes." The Nats are certainly picking a good time to heat up. They're 10 games over .500 now for the first time all season, and today's game marks the 100th they'll have played in 2014. There's still a good bit of ball left to go in the regular season, but we're not too far away from the home stretch, as August is creeping up on us. "Once the All-Star break's over, it's time to really prove that we're a good team," said Craig Stammen, who worked a crucial 2 2/3 scoreless innings in yesterday's win. "And you take that one day at a time, playing each game as best you can, and at the end, you hope you're in the lead. And I think we're well on our way to doing that."