Can Nats build off their latest 'statement' win?

After the trade deadline drama (or lack thereof) that morning and afternoon, Tuesday night could not have gone much better for the Nationals.

Washington destroyed the Mets 25-4, setting a franchise record for runs in a game, and team cornerstone Ryan Zimmerman became the franchise's leader in hits. 

Some will instinctively declare the victory the moment that could finally turn the season around, and understandably so.

However, the Nats have had several "statement" wins this year, and yet they still sit at .500, five and a half games behind in the NL East standings.

I've seen this team make a lot of things that looked like statements this year. So I'm not sure if that first inning matters. But as starts to post-deadline life go, that's about the best they can ask for.

Rewind to June 29. The Nats came in to the day four games back of the division-leading Braves, two behind second-place Philadelphia. Washington blew out the Phillies 17-7 that night, but followed up that double-digit win with five straight losses. 

Just over a week later, the Nats walloped the Marlins 18-4, and sat five back of both the Braves and Phillies. Washington looked poised to make a run, but instead the Nats lost five of their next eight heading into the All-Star break.

And last weekend, the Nats opened a four-game series in Miami with a pair of lopsided wins, scoring a combined 19 runs. Over the next two nights, they mustered just one run, losing both contests and splitting a series that looked to be theirs. 

Tuesday night was certainly one of the great nights in Washington baseball history, but to ensure it's more than a night for the record books, the Nats must continue to put together wins and chip away at the deficit in the standings.  

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