Nationals Power Surging as Wild Card Deficit Tightens

Quietly, the Nationals have won 23 of 32 -- and are an MLB-best 17-5 since Aug. 20 -- to close their wild-card deficit to 5.5 games with 16 games left after completing a sweep of the Mets.

Washington's bats, however, were anything but quiet as the team combined to hit 13 home runs over the four games in Queens. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Nationals "matched the third-highest home run total in major-league history in a series of any length in which one team hit all of the homers in the series."

But that's not all. The 22 home runs that the Nationals hit at Citi Field this season were tied for the most ever hit in a season by a visiting team against the Mets.

There's more! The Nationals have hit 87 home runs on the road this season, most in the National League.

Individually, Ryan Zimmerman has eight home runs in his last 10 games after hitting 15 in his first 122.

Lots of numbers, but the only one that matters right now is 5.5.