Jackson getting it done in all three phases (Nats win 8-2)

The Nationals have scored a touchdown and split the uprights with the extra point. They're up 7-0 over the Brewers in the sixth inning thanks to a dominant offensive performance and some nice work on the mound from Edwin Jackson. But the mound isn't the only place Jackson has been effective tonight. After Adam LaRoche hit his third home run in as many days to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the second inning, the bottom of the order kept the inning alive. That included Jackson, who worked a two-out walk in a tough six-pitch at-bat that loaded the bases and turned the lineup over. The next batter, Steve Lombardozzi, ripped a bases-clearing triple to make it a 4-0 game. In the fifth, Jackson led off the inning with a sharp single to center, and then showed off his wheels by going first-to-third on Bryce Harper's single to right. Not exactly a typical baserunning play by a pitcher, but Jackson isn't your typical pitcher. The Nats then tacked on three runs in the fifth on RBI singles by Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse, and a LaRoche run-scoring groundout. It's been another complete performance by this Nationals team so far tonight, a team which is trying to win its sixth straight contest. And Jackson has been right in the middle of all the action. Update: Henry Rodriguez retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth inning, albeit one on a flyout to deep right. He then hit Rickie Weeks on a curveball up and in, and gave up a mammoth two-run homer to Carlos Gomez. The issues continue. The shutout is gone, but the Nats still have a comfortable 8-2 lead. Jackson went seven scoreless innings, marking the seventh straight game that a Nationals starter has allowed two runs or fewer. Update II: Say hello to 20 games above .500, Nationals fans. Tonight's 8-2 win over the Brewers gets the Nats to the high-water mark in franchise history. It also gets them to the same win total the Nationals posted during the entire 2008 and 2009 seasons. Not too shabby.