What to make of the Nationals' sudden resurgence

They fell to 12 games under .500, their low point in what to date had been a dismal season that was slipping away before their eyes. And then something inexplicable flipped the switch and they started winning and started looking like they were actually enjoying themselves again for the first time all year.

It happened in late May 2019, and we know how that turned out in the end. Now it's starting to happen in early September 2020, and the Nationals can't help but wonder how it will end this time.

"There's a familiar feeling that's starting to come back in the clubhouse," reliever Sean Doolittle said after Tuesday night's 5-3 win over the Rays, the Nats' fourth in five days, all coming against first-place clubs.

Before anyone starts saying anything irresponsible, let's point out the obvious: The 2019 Nationals had four months to turn their season around before embarking on an October journey to remember. The 2020 Nationals have fewer than four weeks to do the same. The odds of pulling off this comeback are much slimmer than they were last year.

The 2019 Nats also knew they were getting major roster upgrades along the way, with key players returning from injuries and trade deadline deals that would help bolster the bullpen.

The 2020 Nats aren't getting healthier. If anything, they're getting less healthy, with Howie Kendrick joining an injured list that already includes Stephen Strasburg, Starlin Castro, Javy Guerra, Dakota Bacus, Sam Freeman, Roenis Elías and Seth Romero. And the trade deadline came and went with nary a deal made by general manager Mike Rizzo.

So there's no cavalry coming to help save the day. What they've currently got is all they're going to get this season. And on paper, that doesn't look like enough to storm all the way back.

But something has changed in the last week, for the better. After an ugly series in Boston followed by a four-game sweep in Philadelphia and a lifeless series opener in Atlanta that left them 12-24 and only a game ahead of the worst-in-the-National League Pirates, players decided they had nothing left to lose.

No sense stressing over their record in a pandemic-shortened, injury-plagued season. Might as well just go out there, have fun and play ball. Whatever their record would be at the end of that, so be it.

"We've got a pretty solid team," right-hander Aníbal Sánchez said. "I know the numbers don't say that. But the same happened last year. We started really, really bad early in the season. And we finished winning the World Series. This year, I think we started the same. But I think this team, it took a little bit to get together to win games."

The 2019 Nationals were lauded for their ability to stick together during tough times and develop the kind of clubhouse chemistry rarely seen during a 19-31 start. The challenge to develop that kind of chemistry was far more daunting this year, because the clubhouse setup is nothing like it's ever been before.

With players required to remain socially distanced before and after games, it's impossible to generate the same camaraderie most of these guys have known in the past. There are no full-team meetings, only position-by-position sessions. Every other locker has to be left empty. Groups of teammates can't hang out on the road together.

How does a team forge an identity under these circumstances?

"Even summer camp was very, very different than a normal spring training would have been," Doolittle said. "You don't have the opportunity to spend time with your teammates away from the ballpark. You don't have as much interaction with your teammates even when you're at the field. So kind of finding that identity and building that chemistry can be a little bit of a challenge, especially if you don't get off to a great start."

These Nationals have had to establish that identity on the field during games. And in the last week, we've finally started to see it coming together.

Who are the 2020 Nats? They're not the juggernaut that played .667 ball from late May through late October a year ago behind a deep and powerful lineup and a dominant rotation. They're a scrappier group that has to manufacture runs and win close games late via their improved bullpen.

Yes, Trea Turner and Juan Soto have played at superstar levels. But this recent surge has been spurred by role players like Brock Holt and Josh Harrison.

Who knows how long it will last? The Braves, who shattered longstanding franchise records in a blowout win over the Marlins on Wednesday night, are in town for four games this weekend. The good vibes could disappear in a hurry.

Or maybe the Nationals really have turned a corner. Whether it's too late to make a difference, we'll see. But if nothing else, baseball has become enjoyable again on South Capitol Street.

"This last week is fun, and like I said, started to feel really, really familiar," Doolittle said. "Who knows what's going to happen? But it's been fun to be a part of it."