WASHINGTON -- On July Fourth, in the nation's capital, Daniel Murphy provided the fireworks. It's fitting, considering who the opponent was.
Playing against the Mets in an 11:05 a.m. game that's become an annual tradition in the District, Murphy went 4-for-5 and drove in five runs to lead first-place Washington to an 11-4 win.
The victory was the Nats' 50th of the season, making them the third National League team and fourth in the majors to reach the half-century mark, along with the Astros, Dodgers and D-backs.
As you'd expect, there was no shortage of Independence Day pageantry. The U.S. Army's Golden Knights kicked things off by parachuting into Nats Park a half-hour before game time with a trail of red smoke behind them. Next up was tight harmony from the Singing Sergeants, an Air Force group that performed the national anthem. As if that wasn't enough, Radio City's Rockettes made a guest appearance, legging it out on top of both dugouts between innings early in the game.
But the best show of all belonged to Murphy.
Despite having a day off in Monday's series opener, Washington's second baseman picked up right where he left off last month, when he went 7-for-16 during a four-game series in Queens against his former team. On Tuesday, Murphy came up to bat five times and hit the ball on the screws each time. No matter who Mets manager Terry Collins used to try to stymie his former player, nothing worked.
In three at-bats against starter Seth Lugo, Murphy hit a pair of RBI singles and drilled one to right field that Jay Bruce caught, the only out of the day for the Nats' cleanup hitter. Facing lefty reliever Josh Edgin with the bases loaded in the sixth, Murphy fell behind 0-2 before lacing a two-run single to right that blew the game open. In the eighth, just for good measure, Murphy greeted reliever Chasen Bradford, who had just entered the game, by lining a run-scoring double into the right-center gap.
The crowd of 37,000-plus gave Murphy a standing ovation when he settled in at second base.
Recent history suggests Wednesday will be an encore performance.
Since signing with the Nats as a free agent in 2015, the 32-year-old veteran has torched his old team seemingly every time he takes the field against them. After hitting .413 with seven home runs in 19 games against the Mets last season, Murphy's batting .391 with a homer and 8 RBIs in 12 contests against them this year. Overall, he's now slashing .388/.438/.698 versus New York.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, that .388 average is his highest against any team that he's faced at least 10 times. Since the start of the 2016 season, Murphy's eight bombs and 29 RBIs against the Mets are his most against any team, and his 45 hits are the most of any MLB player against New York.
"I'm sure he gets some satisfaction, which we all do, when you're playing your former team," said skipper Dusty Baker, whose team increased its NL East lead over the Braves to 8.5 games. "I still do when I'm managing against my former teams. I'm glad that Murph responded today after a day off."
That rest, he said, helped him navigate his way through the unusual start time.
"I got here a little earlier today," said Murphy, who finished Tuesday's game with a .341 average, which leads the majors. "Got here at about 8. The preparation didn't change. It just started earlier. It was the same idea. Get in the weight room, try to fire up the nervous system, and then go to the post and try to put together a quality ballgame."