Middle of the order needs consistency to pair well with starting pitching

Sunday's 10-9 win over the Reds was the best offensive output for the Nationals during the three-game set.

Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy and Wilson Ramos combined for nine hits, seven runs, two homers and five RBIs.

Manager Dusty Baker said it was a welcome sight to see, following losses in the first two games of the series in which the club combined for five runs on 10 hits.

"That was big for Harp, that's the first time he's had three hits in long time," Baker said. "You'd like to see Ramos and Murph -- he was cold the first couple games here. He came back to life. It was big for Ben Revere to get a couple hits and Michael Taylor hit a double so hopefully this is big for their confidence and to help us big time."

Revere had two hits with a run and RBI. Taylor had a double and reached third on a steal that would have been an out if the Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez had held onto the ball.

Ramos had a solo homer, coming right after Murphy hit a two-run shot, in a five-run fourth inning where the Nationals erased a 5-0 deficit.

"I was very happy that we were able to make that come back," Ramos said through interpreter Octavio Martinez. "It lifts the team up. The second time around, we were able to make better adjustments off their starter (Jon Moscot) and we were able to pull that comeback off."

Harper had a single on Friday and a walk on Saturday. Sunday he delivered three singles and scored two of the eight runs in the Sunday eight-run comeback. With the return of first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, hopefully this will mean Harper will see more pitches as the team faces off against the White Sox beginning tonight.

But having the middle of the order ignite the offense for the Nationals' biggest comeback so far this season is a critical asset to go with the team's consistent starting pitching. Those pair of strengths will help the Nationals stay atop the NL East as the team heads through the second third of the schedule.