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

May 20, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann (27) throws a pitch in the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park. The Nationals won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

In a rotation of equals, Jordan Zimmermann’s mental toughness sets him apart

In a starting rotation with five of the best pitchers in all of baseball, it’s not easy to stand out from the pack. In past years, Nationals’ right-hander Jordan Zimmermann has been, without a doubt, the ace of the rotation. He’s been the guy who regularly pitches deep into games, keeps the other offense off the board, and, more importantly, gives the Nationals a chance to win the game.

This year, however, things are different. The Nationals have the best rotation in all of baseball, and while several starters have had their fair share of struggles this year, any one of them could be an “ace” on several big league rotations.

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But for Zimmermann, there are several things that he does that help him stand out from at least a couple of the pitchers on the rotation. While he may not be as dominant as Scherzer, his mental toughness, in my opinion, puts him well ahead of the likes of Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez.

Strasburg and Gonzalez have been inconsistent all season long, and a big reason for their struggles is that they often allow minor rough patches early in the ball game to affect the rest of their start. Zimmermann is different, and his mental toughness is a big reason why he’ll be getting a lot of money when he becomes a free agent this winter.

Last night’s game was a perfect example of how valuable Zimmermann has been to this ball club. The right-hander struggled in the first inning, giving up two runs. For some pitchers, giving up two runs early in the game can set the stage for more trouble later in the game. Zimmermann, however, was unfazed by his early struggles and ended up dominating, allowing just the two runs on five hits while striking out six over seven great innings.

Zimmermann overcame his first-inning hiccup, kept his team in the game, and ultimately earned his fourth win of the season.

Next: The curious case of Bryce Harper

May 20, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper (right) and manager Matt Williams (center) react after being thrown out of the game by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson (left) in the third inning against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

The curious case of Bryce Harper

As I mentioned earlier, last night’s win was especially impressive because Bryce Harper was ejected in the third inning and did not play the role of the hero that we’ve seen him play nearly every night for the last two weeks. But while the Nationals were able to overcome Harper’s absence, the circumstances that led to his ejection puzzled many Nationals fans and analysts, and angered many more.

Depending on who you ask, Harper was ejected by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson for either arguing balls and strikes or for not getting back into the batter’s box when he was told to do so by Hudson. Regardless of what exactly happened, it made Harper and the rest of the Nationals’ dugout furious, and manager Matt Williams was thrown out as well.

While we may never know exactly what was said by any of the parties involved, here is, in Harper’s words, a description of the events that led to the ejections, courtesy of MASN’s Chris Johnson:

“I feel like he was more mad at Matt than he was me,” Harper said. “I was just standing there. He called the strike and I didn’t care really. I just looked off and put my head over. I looked at the floor and was like, ‘That was a little down, don’t you think?’ He told me to get in the box and I was already in the box. Then I was standing there looking at the pitcher. He took his mask off to talk to Matt and so I stepped out.” … “I didn’t need to be in the box while he was chirping at Matt,” Harper said. “Then they were going at it. He told me to get my butt in the box. I was like, ‘Well, you’re still chirping at my manager, so let me take a minute.’ He told me to put my foot in the box and I said, ‘I’ll take the fine.’ It’s not a priority for us to get in the box unless we really need to. I was just taking my time. Once I put my foot back in the box, I said, ‘This is where I was,’ he rung me. He tossed me.”

If Harper’s account of what happened is accurate, he should not have been ejected. But it’s also important to realize that Harper has a responsibility to stay in the game, and he could have probably done things differently to avoid the ejection. While I personally think the ejection was unwarranted, the Nationals are a better team when Harper’s in the lineup and he has to do everything in his power to stay in the game.

Last night was the second time that Harper was thrown out of a ball game this season, and the Nationals are fortunate enough to have won both of them. But the ball club needs Harper, and if he gets ejected—even if it isn’t entirely his fault—the team pays the consequences.

Next: No Harper, No Problem: Bats and bullpen come through