Interpret this game's first hour however you want. Perhaps the Nationals were due to break out like this. Perhaps they simply had a heretofore unrevealed ability to smash the knuckleball. Perhaps we just owe all this to the old phrase about blind squirrels and their acorns.

No matter.

Halfway through the second inning the Nats drove R.A. Dickey from the game. They had a 7-1 lead.

In moments of ridiculousness, I like numbers. So here are a few.

* The Nationals got eight hits (in 13 official at bats!) against Dickey. In 41 previous contests -- or 60 percent of 'em -- they went the whole game without getting that many.

* In only 11 previous games all year have the Nats scored more runs than they did in 1-2/3 against Dickey.

* Never before all season had they scored six or more runs in an inning (as they did in the second).

Now, let's just see if Shawn Hill can hold things together.

By Chico Harlan  |  June 13, 2008; 11:12 PM ET
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