I don’t know for certain, but I am somewhat confident that in addition to overcoming their biggest runs deficit of the season during this game, the Nats also came back from their longest odds of winning of the season. After Pedro Florimon‘s two-run homer put the Nats’ odds of winning at 20.8%, all seemed loss, especially for this team that has been quite light-hitting all season. However, much to our surprise, the Nationals managed some very consistent offense to climb back into it. They scored in five of the game’s first seven innings and pulled out a nice win to crawl back to .500.

Most Important Nationals Hit: Denard Span‘s game-tying triple (+22.7%)

Jun 5, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals center fielder Denard Span (2) is congratulated by Anthony Rendon (6) after scoring a run during the first inning against the New York Mets at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Span missed the first game of the doubleheader against his former team after fouling a pitch off his foot yesterday, but he made his presence felt in the nightcap. With a runner on first and two outs in the sixth, he knocked in the tying run and motored to third as he did so. However, he was stranded by Ryan Zimmerman after Roger Bernadina walked. If players will triple every time they play their former team, the Nats should get a new outfielder from every other team as fast as they can.

Most Important Nationals Pitch: Chris Herrmann‘s two-run double (-19.8%)

Herrmann had eight career at-bats coming into this game, but he looked like a seasoned veteran today. After two walks put runners on in the second inning, Herrmann delivered with a ball off the wall in right field that pushed through both runners and turned a 1-0 Nats lead into a 2-1 deficit. However, with the Nats’ potent-for-today offense, the lead was not safe.

Champ of the Game: Span (+21.4%) was only 1-4 with his RBI triple, but he also walked once and scored a run earlier in the game. Herrmann (+31.1%) was 3-4 with a walk and two RBI, and now has a .500 average on the season (6-12).

Chump of the Game: Nate Karns (-31.9%) had major struggles with his location today, walking three batters and hitting another. He allowed four runs on five hits in just three innings, and was lucky not to take the loss. Minnesota’s Anthony Swarzak (-28.7%) entered the game with a 4-3 lead, but left trailing 5-4 after four hits and a walk let the Nats score two more to turn the tide.

Jun 4, 2013; Washington, DC, USA;Washington Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth (28) waits on deck during the game against the New York Mets at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Nate Karns struggled in three innings, allowing four runs, but the Nationals (31-31) scored a single run in four of the next five innings to turn a 4-1 deficit into a 5-4 win and a series win over the Minnesota Twins, moving them back to .500.

Karns entered the game with a 6.00 ERA, but labored early. He stranded the bases loaded in the top of the first, and was bolstered by a Jayson Werth RBI single in the home half of the inning that gave the Nats an early 1-0 lead. Karns struggled again in the second, walking three batters and allowing an RBI double that gave the Twins a 2-1 lead. Having allowed seven baserunners through two innings, he was fortunate to have allowed just two runs and was at an alarmingly high 55 pitches.

Unfortunately, it all went even further downhill from there. Pedro Florimon homered, the fifth homer Karns has allowed in 12 major league innings pitched, to put the Nats in a seemingly insurmountable three-run hole. He was pulled after just three innings with an ugly final line: 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. His ERA is now 7.50.

May 31, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Nationals center fielder Denard Span (2) celebrates with left fielder Roger Bernadina (33) after a win against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

In the bottom of the third, the Nats got right down to business chipping away at the Minnesota lead. Werth scored Roger Bernadina on another RBI single, and the lead was down to two. The .186-hitting Bernadina was a suprising offensive force, going 2-3 with two walks and two runs scored. After a fruitless fourth, the Nats struck again in the fifth on an Adam LaRoche sacrifice fly that scored former Twin Denard Span. After that inning, Twins starter Sam Deduno was pulled, having allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks in five innings. Meanwhile, Craig Stammen dominated out of the bullpen once again, pitching two perfect innings. Span’s RBI triple off reliever Anthony Swarzak in the sixth knotted the score at four apiece, and set the stage for the Nats to take the lead.

In the seventh, LaRoche doubled with one out off Swarzak and brought up Ian Desmond, who promptly did the same and scored LaRoche to put the Nats up 5-4. The story of the game was the bullpen performance by both teams. The Twins allowed two runs on four hits in three innings, while the Nats allowed no runs on three hits in six innings. With a slim lead, Rafael Soriano made things interesting in the ninth by putting runners on the corners with two outs, but escaped and earned his sixteenth save of the season.

Next Game: Tuesday in Colorado, 8:40 PM. Haren (4-7, 5.45) v. Chacín (3-3, 4.59)

May 28, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals staring pitcher Nathan Karns (57) throws during the third inning against the Balitimore Orioles at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Washington

Span CF

Roger Bernadina LF

Ryan Zimmerman 3B

Adam LaRoche 1B

Jayson Werth RF

Ian Desmond SS

Anthony Rendon 2B

Jhonatan Solano C

Karns RHP

Minnesota

Jamey Carroll 3B

Chris Herrmann C

Joe Mauer 1B

Josh Willingham LF

Chris Parmelee RF

Aaron Hicks CF

Eduardo Escobar 2B

Pedro Florimon SS

Deduno RHP