After a wonderful first 18 games of the season, the Nationals ended up having a not-so-wonderful next 18 games. They went 8-10 over the second 18 games, bringing their overall record to 22-14. That is still a good record. (Last year they were 18-18.) They are in second place in the division, a half-game behind the Atlanta Braves. Injuries are still a major concern, as during this stretch, they lost several important players, including Jayson Werth (out until at least August) and Wilson Ramos (out for the year). They are currently without their starting left fielder (Michael Morse), right fielder (Werth), catcher (Ramos), and closer (Drew Storen). Several players should return in June and July, but the Nats need to avoid more injuries. They’ve had at least ten players spend time on the DL. That is not a good formula for winning for a team that struggles to score runs. One bright spot to emerge from all this is the call-up of Bryce Harper. He’s young, only 19 years old, and he plays like it at times. But, he’s also shown the talent that made him the top overall pick when he was drafted. He’s hit home runs in his last two games. Those are his first of what all Nats fans hope will be many. He’s also the first teenager to homer in back-to-back games since a guy named Ken Griffey Jr. He was pretty good, so I like that! Another bright spot is that they took two-out-of-three games against the Philadelphia Phillies, ‘Igniting the Natitude’ along the way. The Nats have come back down to earth a little, but there’s still hope for a special season!