Nats find quick-strike offense with back-to-back homers again

A big part of the Nationals' quick-strike offense this season has been the ability to hit back-to-back homers.

In their 8-4 victory over the Cubs on Wednesday night, the Nationals pulled off the feat for the seventh time this season.

With the Nationals leading 1-0 in the second inning, the club attacked Cubs starter John Lackey with back-to-back homers by Anthony Rendon and Matt Wieters, extending their lead to 3-0. It was the start to a four-run rally that provided Stephen Strasburg with a 5-0 lead.

Rendon led off the inning with his 15th homer over the left field wall to put the Nats up 2-0. Rendon went 3-for-3 with a single, double, homer and got hit by a pitch.

Right fielder Bryce Harper, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs, has been impressed with Rendon's work this season.

"Rendon's a stud. He's able to go out there and have good at-bats and swing at his pitch," Harper said. "A very patient hitter. Waits for his pitch over the zone. He hit a homer and he hit a double. Huge at-bats out of him. Plays great third base. Definitely an All-Star in my book. He's a stud out there."

Wieters followed with a solo blast of his own. His seventh homer of the season was over the center field wall on a 1-1 pitch. Despite the big homer, Wieters admitted he has had to battle at the plate recently to try to get some consistency.

"It's been a little bit of a grind lately," Wieters said. "I feel close, but not quite clicking. So it was nice to finally put a good swing on one and get the barrel to it. It was something where I just felt a tick off timing-wise. It's nice to finally get one on the barrel a little bit."

And if your timing is off, how can you get that back?

"Just keep swinging," Wieters said. "You're going to go through stretches like that over the course of the year. But you just keep putting in the work and trust that it will come around. And the key is to take whatever it is you did before the game and trust that it's helped you and you can take it into the game."

Wieters is now batting .252 with 19 extra-base hits and 31 RBIs in 63 games.