The way things have been going around here lately, it was perfectly fair for anyone inside the Nationals dugout – or anywhere inside Nationals Park, for that matter – to reach the bottom of the ninth tonight and just assume the home team was going to rally once again and pull off another walk-off win.

So when it didn’t happen and the Red Sox were the ones congratulating each other following a 5-4 victory, nobody quite knew how to react.

Despite trailing by that same score since the fourth inning, the Nationals never could mount one final rally to get over the hump. They had walked off the Athletics both Saturday and Sunday. They could not walk off the Red Sox tonight.

"They were making good pitches," catcher Keibert Ruiz said. "Sometimes it's hard."

In the end, the Nationals were left to contemplate the latest abbreviated start by Josiah Gray, who labored more than he has in any previous outing and wound up surrendering all five runs Boston would score, all of them coming in the game’s first four innings.

Hunter Harvey believes he could’ve returned from his elbow strain at least a week ago, maybe sooner than that. Given the right-hander’s lengthy injury history, the Nationals weren’t about to rush him back from the 15-day injured list.

But once they saw him throwing 97-99 mph against live hitters over the weekend, there wasn’t much reason to wait any longer. So today the Nats activated Harvey off the IL and are eager to add him to a bullpen that still managed to dominate as a group in his absence the last three weeks.

“They’ve been great,” Harvey said. “I’ve heard (manager Davey Martinez) say guys needed to step up, and I think a lot of guys had a good opportunity and ran with it. … Everybody’s been pulling their weight, and it’s been good.”

Harvey first felt something wrong in his arm during the Nationals’ mid-July series in St. Louis and immediately spoke up, recognizing he hasn’t always been great at reporting physical ailments during his career. The team sent him home to get an MRI but was relieved to learn the injury wasn’t anything more serious.

Harvey was back throwing again within a week and was able to return without going on a minor league rehab assignment. His IL stint might’ve been even shorter, he believes, if his wife hadn’t given birth to their first son earlier than expected, drawing his undivided attention away from baseball.

It’s been a good stretch for the Nationals over the last several weeks, as we’ve outlined here. Now, can they keep it up against some postseason contenders? We’re about to find out with a run of series against the Red Sox, Phillies, Yankees, Marlins and Blue Jays.

It begins tonight against Boston, which enters play three games back in the American League wild card race, needing to get on a roll to catch Toronto and Seattle. So it’s a good test for Josiah Gray, who struggled to keep his pitch count down last week in Philadelphia and was knocked out after allowing four runs in only 4 2/3 innings.

The Nationals go up against a familiar face tonight. Well, not familiar to anyone who is still here, but familiar to anyone who knows their organizational history. Once upon a time (aka July 2015), Mike Rizzo traded a Single-A pitching prospect named Nick Pivetta to the Phillies for Jonathan Papelbon. We all know how that worked out, more so because of Papelbon’s tumultuous tenure here. Pivetta, now 30, makes his 147th career start tonight, owner of a 48-56 record and 4.92 ERA. He hasn’t been great, but he has lasted for a while in the big leagues.

The Nats have a familiar face back in their bullpen tonight: Hunter Harvey. The right-hander was activated off the 15-day injured list and will be available if needed. Joe La Sorsa was optioned to Triple-A Rochester to clear a spot for Harvey.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. BOSTON RED SOX
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain, 81 degrees, wind 6 mph out to right field

The Nationals, you may have heard, are playing winning baseball right now.

After a weekend sweep of the Athletics, they improved to 15-8 since July 21. They’re 19-12 since July 8, which is the best record in the National League East during that time, third-best in the NL.

Something clearly has to be going right for this team that wasn’t going right earlier in the season. Or last season. Or the season before that. But what exactly is going so right for them to cause such a dramatic turnaround?

You can find improvement in just about every aspect of play, from a lineup that is scoring more runs to a defense that is committing fewer errors to a bullpen that has dramatically become one of the most effective in the league in recent weeks. And all of that is true.

But if you really want to boil it all down to one key factor, here it is: The Nationals are winning the late innings.

MLB Pipeline released its midseason rankings of the top 100 prospects in baseball and the top 30 for each major league team, adding the 2023 draft class and trade deadline moves, and there’s no surprise who tops the Nationals’ list.

Dylan Crews, the No. 2 overall pick out of LSU, is the Nationals’ new top prospect, coming in at No. 1 on the team’s top 30 and No. 4 overall in the sport.

The outfielder was MLB Pipeline’s top-rated position player in this year’s draft, so it’s no wonder they hold him in high regard. But it was going to be a close call between him and fellow outfielder James Wood, who has been the Nats’ top prospect since the end of last season.

Wood is now the Nats No. 2 prospect (such a big drop) and the No. 7 overall prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline. Both he and Crews have a major league ETA of 2024.

Third baseman Brady House is now the Nats’ No. 3 prospect while also becoming one of the highest-ranking newcomers in the top 100, landing at No. 43 after his promotion to Double-A Harrisburg earlier this summer. He rounds out the Nationals prospects in the top 100.

Well, it was a rather interesting week here in NatsTown, was it not? It began with a sweep in Cincinnati. Then it included a no-hitter in Philadelphia. Then it concluded with another sweep over Oakland. All of a sudden, the Nationals have gone 19-12 since July 8, best in the NL East and third-best in the NL during that prolonged span.

Now another potentially momentous week awaits. There's a three-game series with the Red Sox beginning Tuesday. Then a three-game series with the Phillies that begins Friday in D.C. but concludes Sunday in Williamsport, Pa.

You've probably got questions about the current state of affairs around here, or maybe what the future has in store for the Nats, both short-term and long-term. If so, submit them in the comments section below and then check back throughout the morning for my responses ...

When Jeter Downs stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the ninth this afternoon, he had no realistic reason to believe he was about to jumpstart a game-winning rally.

The Nationals trailed the Athletics by five runs, having slogged their way through a mostly lifeless series finale that saw Trevor Williams get roughed up again while their lineup failed to deliver with runners in scoring position again. They would just have to accept a Sunday loss to Oakland but a weekend series victory.

But in the dugout, Dominic Smith was trying to keep his teammates engaged, no matter the score. “We’ve got three outs,” the first baseman told them. “Don’t give any at-bats away. They all matter.”

So by the time Downs somehow found himself stepping back to the plate some 25 minutes later, now with a chance to drive in the winning run, the young infielder had every reason in the world to believe he and his team were actually going to pull this thing off.

And when he delivered the final hit to cap a stunning, six-run rally, Downs could only soak in the moment as teammates mobbed him in the middle of the diamond following the most inexplicable, 8-7 victory most of them had ever experienced.

Though the depleted group has performed remarkably well in his absence, the Nationals bullpen is about to get one of its key members back.

Hunter Harvey, out the last four weeks with an elbow strain, is on track to come off the injured list early this week, according to manager Davey Martinez.

Harvey faced live hitters before Friday’s game at Nationals Park, then threw off the bullpen mound prior to today’s series finale against the Athletics. Barring any complications, the right-hander should be ready to come off the 15-day IL, foregoing a minor league rehab assignment.

“I think Hunter should be ready here in the next couple days,” Martinez said.

Ready for what?

Hello from Nationals Park. Yes, I’m back to work. In person. Many thanks to Bobby Blanco for jumping in to cover in my absence during what proved to be a very eventful week. And many thanks to all of you who offered well wishes while I was recovering from COVID.

The Nationals, as you know, are playing their best baseball of the year. Really, their best baseball in more than two years. They’ve gone 14-8 over the last 3 1/2 weeks, and today they have a chance at their third series sweep in that time, having already disposed of the Giants and Reds.

To do the same to the Athletics, they’ll need a bounce-back start from Trevor Williams, who was roughed up in Philadelphia on Tuesday to the tune of six runs and eight hits in only 4 2/3 innings. The home run has become Williams’ biggest problem; he enters today’s start having surrendered 25 of them this season, second-most in the National League.

The Nats lineup came through with two big hits during Saturday night’s win – Lane Thomas’ game-tying RBI single in the eighth, Keibert Ruiz’s walk-off homer in the ninth – but overall that group went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position. That’s not usually a recipe for success. They’ll hope to convert in the clutch more this afternoon against A’s left-hander Ken Waldichuk, who enters with a 6.30 ERA and a whopping 5.2 walks issued per nine innings.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 88 degrees, wind 11 mph left field to right field

So far, it’s been a weekend of firsts for members of this Nationals squad.

Jake Alu recorded his first major league home run on Friday. And on Saturday, after seven minor league seasons and a week in the majors, Blake Rutherford recorded his elusive first hit.

“I don't even know if it's really sunk in. It was a surreal moment,” Rutherford said of his first hit after the Nationals’ 3-2 walk-off win over the Athletics. “I can't really thank all these players, all the coaches for having my back and for telling me to keep going, to keep pushing. Every single one of them is picking me up every single day and I couldn't be more thankful for that. To have my brother fly in and my girlfriend here to be able to see it, not as many people as the debut, but to still have people here who are part of the journey is special and I'm extremely grateful for them and for all my family back home watching. It's just a special moment for all of us, not just me.”

The 26-year-old wasted no time in last night’s game. In his first at-bat in a 1-2 count, the left-handed hitter slapped a 100-mph outside sinker from righty Luis Medina the other way for a single to load the bases.

He had a huge smile on his face as he stood on the bag with his teammates giving him a standing ovation from the dugout and first base coach Eric Young Jr. giving him a big hug.

The Nationals have been playing well at home over the last month, a stark difference from the first half of the season. It took until the ninth inning, but that trend continued tonight against the Athletics.

With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Keibert Ruiz stepped to the plate and delivered a first-pitch walk-off home run to right field for a 3-2 win in front of 28,635 screaming fans.

“I was looking for a good pitch to hit," Ruiz said after the victory celebrations. "I got it and I put a good swing on it. Just grateful to god for this opportunity. I've been dreaming for this moment for a long time.”

He got a perfect pitch to hit from Oakland reliever Lucas Erceg. The right-hander left a 97-mph fastball right down the middle of the plate for Ruiz to crush 391 feet into the Nationals bullpen and then trot the bases to his awaiting teammates for a cold Gatorade bath at home plate.

“I can't describe that moment," Ruiz said. "Like I said, I've been dreaming for that moment for a long time and really grateful to god.”

There was a lot of injury news from Friday, both from before the 8-2 victory over the Athletics and from afterward. Let’s take a look at some of the updates on those included parties.

First of all, the concern coming out of the win was Joan Adon’s early departure after only three innings. The young right-hander was dealing with command issues, which led to two runs in the first inning, and then walked off the field with manager Davey Martinez and head athletic trainer Paul Lessard after throwing some warm-up pitches before the fourth.

The good news after the game was that the ailment was only leg cramps. The bad news was that this was the second straight game he had experienced them and third time since July.

“He said he feels better,” Martinez said ahead of Saturday’s game during his meeting with the media. “We're gonna run some tests on him though and see why this is happening to him. Whether he's not getting enough fluids or (what). I talked to him today. He said he drinks a lot before the game. So we're going to figure it out before his next start. And hopefully, it's something that we can control. But today, he said he felt fine. I told him to just take it easy today and we'll get you going again tomorrow. Because he's definitely got to get on this routine.”

Adon expressed concern last night that the cramps came up so early in the game, whereas they didn’t happen until the sixth inning last week against the Reds. But Martinez said it could happen at any time with the amount Adon sweats during a start.

The Nationals have won seven of their last 11 games after last night’s 8-2 win over the Athletics while continuing to play well at home. They have won 10 of their last 12 games on South Capitol Street and have a chance today to clinch their fifth straight home series.

Jake Irvin will look to provide some length after Joan Adon only lasted three innings Friday night due to leg cramps. The right-handed rookie is 3-5 with a 4.93 ERA and 1.440 WHIP over his first 17 major league starts. He has pitched into the sixth in three of his last four outings but only made it to the fifth last weekend in Cincinnati.

The A’s will send out their own right-handed rookie Luis Medina for tonight’s game. The 24-year-old is 3-8 with a 5.47 ERA and 1.532 WHIP over 16 big league appearances, 12 starts. He, too, has been able to provide solid length in his recent starts, but only made it to the fourth in his last outing against the Giants.

Update: Lane Thomas has been scratched from tonight's lineup. He was hit by a pitch in the right wrist last night. Stone Garrett is now in right and batting sixth.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 88 degrees, wind 8 mph out to left field

Jake Alu made his major league debut on May 9 in San Francisco. He recorded his first hit on May 12 in D.C. against the Mets. He drove in his first run here on Aug. 1 against the Brewers and got his first extra-base hit three days later in Cincinnati.

But he hadn’t yet hit one over the fence. Until last night.

The 26-year-old rookie, who was a 24th-round pick in 2019 out of Boston College, finally hit his first home run in last night’s 8-2 win over the Athletics.

Facing left-handed reliever Sam Long, the left bat hit a first-pitch 92-mph fastball 104 mph off the bat and 419 feet over the right-center field wall and trotted the bases for the first time on a major league diamond.

“Kind of was trying to get a swing off on a fastball, and I got it first pitch kind of up in the zone,” Alu said. “And I was able to barrel it up and finally get one out of there. “

Tonight was supposed to be the first turn of the Nationals’ new six-man rotation, with Joan Adon making his second start since being inserted last week.

But the thing about a six-man rotation is that they need six men to pitch in it.

Adon’s availability moving forward is now in question after he was pulled from tonight’s 8-2 win over the Athletics with cramps in his legs while warming up for the fourth inning.

“I just started on my warmups and I felt it right away in my calf and in my groin a little bit," Adon said after the game, via interpreter Octavio Martinez. "One was my calf on one side and my groin on the other.”

The 26-year-old right-hander, who threw an impressive quality start Saturday in Cincinnati, threw a couple of warmup pitches to backup catcher Riley Adams in between the third and fourth innings. But before Keibert Ruiz could even get his catching gear on, manager Davey Martinez and head athletic trainer Paul Lessard were out of the dugout checking on the starting pitcher and then departed with him.

Most of the Nationals clubhouse was surrounding the back of the batting cage on the field at Nats Park at around 4 p.m. They were all waiting to watch Tanner Rainey and Hunter Harvey throw their simulated innings.

The plan was for Rainey, who is still recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery, to throw around 35-40 pitches. Harvey, who has been on the 15-day injured list since July 16 with a right elbow strain, was set to throw about 20-25 pitches.

Jeter Downs, Blake Rutherford, Michael Chavis and Riley Adams suited up to step into the box against their teammates.

Rainey went first, his first time stepping on the mound at Nats Park since July 4 of last year, with pitching coach Jim Hickey watching behind him and the rest of the coaching staff and teammates behind the cage.

Downs struck out, Rutherford got a base hit and Adams went deep down the left field line. But those results didn’t matter, as Rainey seemed satisfied when he stepped off the mound after his inning.

The Nationals are back home after a successful 4-3 road trip to Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Now they welcome the Athletics, who own the worst record in the majors at 33-82.

The Nats themselves are at 50-66, only five games back of their final 2022 record. They’ll have a chance to surpass that mark on this nine-game homestand.

Joan Adon, recently added as the sixth man in this rotation, will make his second start since rejoining the Nats last week. If you didn’t hear by now, he took a perfect game into the sixth inning before giving up a two-out single Saturday against the Reds. He finished with a quality start and seven strikeouts, earning him more opportunities to pitch at the major league level.

Veteran right-hander Paul Blackburn starts for the A’s in the opener. The 29-year-old is 2-5 with a 4.35 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in 12 games (11 starts) this year. He has been strong over his last three starts, pitching to a 1.56 ERA over 17 ⅓ innings including six shutout innings in his last outing against the Giants.

Blackburn has never faced the Nationals, nor has he faced any current Nats hitters. Same goes for Adon against the A’s.

PHILADELPHIA – Blake Rutherford waited seven years to make his major league debut. Now he’s been waiting seven days for his first major league hit.

It’s a tough hurdle to cross for any player in his first taste of the majors. You have to find that perfect balance of staying true to your form while not pressing too much if it doesn’t come right away.

Rutherford is still hitless in his first five games with the Nationals. He’s been platooning in left field with Stone Garrett against right-handed starting pitchers, so he’ll likely get his next chance at his first knock tonight against A’s righty Paul Blackburn.

Five games over one’s first week in the majors is not enough of a sample size to make any judgements. The Nats will still give him plenty of opportunities in the near future. They just want to see him relax more.

“He definitely wants to get that one hit right away,” said manager Davey Martinez. “We need to get him to relax and hopefully … he gets that out of the way. Once you get that one, you kind of relax and drop your shoulders a little bit. But we're really trying to get him to relax.”

PHILADELPHIA – It’s almost impossible to stop them. All you can really do is try to limit them.

“That team over there was built to hit home runs,” manager Davey Martinez said earlier this week.

That they were and they showed it as they took three of four games from the Nationals, who lost Thursday’s finale 6-2 in front of 30,113 fans at Citizens Bank Park.

It was the usual suspects for the Phillies, who scored all six of their runs on three two-run homers. And it wouldn’t be a Nats-Phillies game without a former National doing some damage.

It was Trea Turner’s turn tonight, hitting a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth to give Philly a 2-1 lead. Then Nick Castellanos (his third in the last two games) and J.T. Realmuto each hit two-run shots to put this game out of reach in the seventh.

PHILADELPHIA – The Nationals made the decision yesterday to move to a six-man rotation. What was still to be determined was the order in which those six starters would pitch.

They came to that decision today, announcing Joan Adon will start Friday’s series opener at home against the Athletics with Jake Irvin and Trevor Williams following for the rest of the weekend.

That means Josiah Gray will be the first to benefit from the extra rest afforded by the six-man rotation with a week in between starts as he’s lined up to start Tuesday’s series opener against the Red Sox. MacKenzie Gore and Patrick Corbin, tonight’s starter in the Phillies series finale, would then follow suit, each of them also getting a week in between starts.

“We're trying to spread the younger guys out a little bit and give them a couple of extra days off,” manager Davey Martinez said during his pregame media session. “So that's how we decided to do it and that's how it's gonna work out.”

Adon will make his second major league start tomorrow after pitching well in Saturday’s start in Cincinnati when he took a perfect game into the sixth inning and finished with a quality start. It remains to be seen how far the Nationals will push the 24-year-old, who has already surpassed his career high for total innings in a season.