No Harper, No Problem: Washington Nationals are playing unstoppable baseball

May 20, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder

(12) and

(2) high five second baseman

(8) and shortstop

(20) after beating the New York Yankees 3-2 at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Nationals are the hottest team in baseball right now, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be slowing down any time in the near future. Led by the hottest hitter on the planet, Bryce Harper, the Nationals have stormed back from the bottom of the division to first place, and appear to be on the fast track to the top of the National League.

The Nationals have now won 24 games this season, and perhaps two of the most impressive wins came over the last two nights when the team swept the Yankees at home to stretch their winning streak to five games. It’s never easy to face the Yankees, and while the Nationals are a better team on paper, completing a two-game sweep against the Bombers is no small task.

But few things can stop the Nationals right now, and the Yankees fell short in both games. Perhaps last night’s win was the most impressive for the Nationals as they managed to win the game despite the fact that Harper was ejected in the third inning. While Harper didn’t get to be the hero in last night’s game, several other players did.

Last night, the team saw another great start from Jordan Zimmermann, a spotless game from the ‘pen and some big hits from Tyler Moore, Ian Desmond and Denard Span. As if playing against the Yankees wasn’t exciting enough on its own, the game also had plenty of drama from the get go as both Harper and manager Matt Williams were tossed in one of the strangest chain of events we’ve ever seen at Nationals Park. But more importantly, the Nationals also saw that they’re talented enough to win without Harper being the hero every night.

With all of this in mind, let’s break down the key moments of last night’s victory over the Yankees.

Next: In a rotation of equals, Jordan Zimmermann's mental toughness sets him apart