Washington Nationals’ lineup for second of four with the Cincinnati Reds...

Davey Martinez really liked what he saw from the Washington Nationals’ hitters in their six-run second inning in last night’s 10-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Really liked it.

“It was awesome,” Martinez told reporters after the game. “The best thing about that is guys taking their walks, you know, that’s really good to see and that’s encouraging. They’re all having good at bats now and that’s really good. So we’ve just got to keep it going. They’re really starting to put together a string of at bats together throughout the inning which is nice to see.”

“Just got to keep going,” Bryce Harper said, “keep having good at bats and doing things we can to score runs and putting pressure on the other team and the other starter as well, so if we can do that then we’ll be just fine.”

Harper went 2 for 3 with a home run (a big one), two walks, and two runs scored last night, and in 12 games, 11 starts, since the All-Star Break, the 25-year-old has gone 14 for 39 for a .359/.480/.692 line with four doubles, three home runs, nine walks, and 16 Ks over 50 plate appearances.

Daniel Murphy started to turn things around before the Break, but in 12 games since play resumed, the 33-year-old second baseman is 15 for 41 (.366/.422/.634) with two doubles and three home runs in 45 PAs.

“He’s healthy. He’s getting healthy. He’s using his legs, he’s staying down and using his legs a lot better and he’s starting to feel like Daniel Murphy,” Martinez said.

Having Harper and Murphy heat up has surely played a role in the Nationals’ run over the last few weeks.

“It’s huge,” Martinez explained. “And we’re starting to string at bats along in the whole lineup, and that’s huge. There’s no stopgap and those guys can continue to do that, and get their walks, take their walks, take their hits, drive in runs from third base with less than two outs, all those things. Moving guys over. I mean Adam Eaton moved a guy over in the last inning. Those are big. That’s big. [Wilmer] Difo coming up and getting a big hit to lead off the inning against [Raisel] Iglesias, that’s huge.”

It’s all huge and awesome, and the Nationals have managed to win three straight and six of their last eight games. Will they make it four straight tonight?

HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP FOR THE 2ND OF 4 WITH THE REDS: