PITTSBURGH -- The Nationals are without their ace and their closer right now, but a historic stretch of offense can cure all woes.\n\nThe Nats’ batting order drove Pirates starter
Leading the charge has been Eaton, who has a blast in each of the past three games -- you know, the ones they scored 13-plus runs in -- and four in his last five. This comes after he hit just seven in his first 113 games.\n\nEaton attributes it to simply having a healthy base to swing from after spending significant time the past two years on the injured list due to knee and ankle problems in his left leg.\n\n“I finally have legs underneath me,” Eaton said. “I think that’s a big key. It’s hard to swing with one leg. I did that for two years, and it wasn’t fun.”\n\nThere’s also a sign in Eaton’s improved pitch recognition and chase rate, according to Martinez. Eaton’s two-pitch at-bat in the first that produced the game’s first homer is a perfect illustration: he sat on a high four-seamer, then powered a middle-cut sinker to right field.\n\n“He’s laying off the high fastballs,” Martinez said. “When he can lay off the high fastballs, he’s a really good low-ball hitter.”\n\nA more overarching explanation for the historic numbers -- maybe somewhat expected -- is a lineup that’s hitting from Nos. 1-9 in the order.