With six-hit day, Zimmerman sustaining success at plate

The sting of Tuesday night's 3-1 loss to the Braves in the nightcap of a significant doubleheader was still fresh in everyone's mind, but if the Nationals were looking for reasons to remain optimistic the day and night Ryan Zimmerman had the plate was a good place to start.

Zimmerman was a one-man wrecking crew with the bat on a long day at the ballpark. He went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a homer in the opener (an 8-3 Nats win) and then he followed that up by going 3-for-3 with a double and a walk in the nightcap.

That's a six-hit day overall for Zimmerman, who arrived at Nationals Park with a .225 batting average and .717 OPS and departed having bumped those numbers up to .253 and .801.

And this wasn't a mere blip on an otherwise desolate landscape. It was a continuation of a decidedly upward trend line for the veteran first baseman since he returned from the disabled list 2 1/2 weeks ago.

In 10 games played since the All-Star break, Zimmerman is batting .371 with six doubles, two homers, nine RBIs and a 1.164 OPS that has turned him back into a dangerous middle-of-the-order bat.

"Since I've come back, I feel like I've had good at-bats, hit the ball well," he said. "My body's now starting to feel good back in there playing a lot more than I was when I first came back. We didn't want to just throw me right back in there. We'll see how I feel tomorrow, but overall I'm very happy with how I feel and how I've been hitting the ball. We've just got to keep it going."

Manager Davey Martinez initially was cautious with Zimmerman coming off an oblique strain, giving Matt Adams more starts at first base. But he's been turning to Zimmerman a bit more of late, even against right-handed starters, and he's being rewarded for it.

Zimmerman started both ends of Tuesday's doubleheader, taking advantage of two Atlanta lefties on the mound. The Braves are scheduled to start right-handers Mike Foltynewicz and Anibal Sanchez in the final two games of the series, but it wouldn't be surprising if Martinez gives Zimmerman the nod over Adams in at least one of those games.

As impressive a day as he had personally, Zimmerman's night did end on a sour note. He was leading off second base with one out in the bottom of the ninth when Matt Wieters scorched a 106-mph line drive to third base.

Instinctually taking a quick step toward third right off the bat, Zimmerman was left to try to scramble back to second when Johan Camargo snagged the line drive and immediately turned to throw to second base to double him up and end the game.

"I probably shouldn't have even taken a step," Zimmerman said. "But even if I don't go anywhere, he's probably going to double me off. Just bad luck. Matty hit the ball about as hard as you can hit it. It is what it is."