Updates on Doolittle and Strasburg (Nats win 25-4)

Nationals closer Sean Doolittle had a second MRI recently to check the progress on his left toe inflammation. The results do not point to a quick return, but Doolittle said he is making incremental progress.

Doolittle has been on the disabled list since July 7.

"I guess it was good," Doolittle said. "There's still some more doctors that are going to look at it, but it was very, very similar. It was virtually unchanged from the one that we had a little over a week before. So while I was hoping for signs of significant progress, the trainers were happy that, after a week of rehab, it didn't get any worse.

"So, I'm trying to focus on the good here, and just trying to take it one step at a time and put my best foot forward."

Great pun by Doolittle.

Manager Davey Martinez reiterated the next "steps" outlined for Doolittle following the previous MRI.

"My understanding is that not being worse and being the same is probably a good thing," Martinez said. "But I talked to Doo a little bit, and we're going to wait to see what the doctor says and what we can do moving forward."

Martinez had an update on right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who had a shot to help the ease a cervical nerve impingement.

"He threw yesterday. He said he felt fine," Martinez reported. "We'll see what the next move is. He's going to progress in his throwing program. We'll see what kind of throwing program we're going to put him on, and we'll get him going here. Just played catch."

Strasburg has been on the disabled list since July 22. Martinez believes Strasburg's return could be sooner rather than later, due to the nature of this injury.

"I truly believe - because it's not his shoulder, it's his neck - that his arm feels good," Martinez said. "We'll have to wait and see, but this could be something that progresses really fast. But we'll have to see how his neck feels."

Update: The Nationals pounded out eight hits and batted around in the first, scoring seven times on Mets starter Steven Matz. Bryce Harper had an RBI double, Ryan Zimmerman a run-scoring single, Daniel Murphy an RBI single and Tanner Roark a three-run double.

Zimmerman's hit was No. 1,695, surpassing Expos legend Tim Wallach on the all-time franchise list.

After one, the Nats lead 7-0.

Update II: In the second inning, the Nats batted around (for the second time in two frames), this time against Mets reliever Jacob Rhame. Murphy hit a two-run shot and Matt Wieters added an RBI single.

After two, the Nats lead 10-0.

Update III: Murphy has his second homer of the game, a three-run shot in the third off of Rhame. It was his fourth homer of the season. He now has six RBIs in the game.

After three, the Nats lead 13-0.

Update IV: Harper hit an RBI double and Zimmerman added a two-run shot in the fourth off Mets reliever Tim Peterson.

After four, the Nats lead 16-0.

Update V: Rendon three-run double in the fifth. The Nats have set a single game season high for runs (19) and hits (19) and have played only five innings.

Update VI: The Nats scored six runs against position player Jose Reyes in the eighth, highlighted by a three-run shot from pinch-hitter Mark Reynolds, two-homer for Matt Adams and an RBI triple by Wilmer Difo.

The 25 runs scored are a franchise record.

After eight innings, the Nats lead 25-1.

Update VII: The Mets scored three runs in the ninth off of Shawn Kelley. Austin Jackson's first homer of the season was a two-run shot.

Final score: the Nats 25, the Mets 4.