WASHINGTON -- Mathematicians will say the Washington Nationals cant clinch the NL East until next week. Air Max 1 Scontate . Practicality says they essentially wrapped it up Tuesday night when they sent nine hitters to the plate against Ervin Santana in the first inning of another win over the Atlanta Braves. The Nationals beat their division nemesis for the second time in two nights, winning 6-4 to push their lead to nine games with 19 to play. Atlanta had been a thorn in Washingtons plans for about a year and a half, but the Nationals have put the kibosh on that trend by winning five of the last seven meetings. "It feels like were just that much closer," first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "Not to take anything for granted until this thing is sewn up, but these are big. This time of year, playing the team chasing you, to be able to win a couple." LaRoche kept up his torrid stretch with two hits and two RBIs, and Jordan Zimmermann (11-5) allowed four runs (two earned) with seven strikeouts and no walks in six innings. Zimmermann hasnt lost a decision since July 11 and is 5-0 -- and the Nationals are 8-0 -- in his last eight starts. LaRoche is 9-for-19 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in his last six games, a run that started when he overcame back and elbow injuries and a stomach virus to punch in five RBIs as a late sub against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He singled in a run off Santana (14-8) in the Nationals four-run first inning and added another RBI single in the second. Both were hitting works of art: He held back just enough to get the end of the bat on a high changeup and poke a soft line drive up the middle, and lifted a low two-strike changeup into a line-drive hit to right. Yet LaRoche says he isnt really in his best groove. "You know, it feels good; it doesnt feel great," he said. "I dont know how to explain that, other than just from experience. I know when it feels really good, but again, it feels good. I feel like Im slowing things down, going a little deeper in counts and getting some pitches to hit." Santana settled down somewhat after his long first inning and stuck around through five. He gave up five runs, eight hits and four walks to fall to 7-2 since the All-Star break for the Braves, who remain in a crowded race for a wild card berth. "You cant fully give up. We still have a chance," Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "Once were fully eliminated from the division race, then well worry about the wild card." DREW LOOKS LIKE THE GUY After struggling reliever Rafael Soriano lost the closers job on Friday, Washington manager Matt Williams initially indicated he would go to a closer-by-committee. Sure doesnt look that way. Drew Storen pitched the ninth for his third save in three days. Williams wouldnt declare outright that Storen is the new closer, and he has an excuse to stay mum for at least one more day: Even if Storen has the job, he almost certainly wouldnt pitch in four straight games. GONZALEZ ON KERSHAW Gonzalez offered a random thought on Clayton Kershaw, wondering if the Dodgers lefty has become too dominant for the usual set of stats: "I think you start counting how many hard foul balls he gives up instead of counting ERA. Six hard hit balls in foul territory." TRAINERS ROOM Braves: C Evan Gattis (strep throat) remained at the teams hotel for the second day in a row. Gonzalez said Gattis could return Friday for the opener of a three-game series in Texas. ... 2B Tommy La Stella was scratched from the starting lineup with a migraine, but he appeared as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. Nationals: SS Ian Desmonds back tightened up before the game, and he left after five innings. He said he has had a similar problem two or three times this year, but he should be able to play Wednesday. ... 3B Ryan Zimmerman took on-field batting practice for the first time since injuring his right hamstring on July 22. UP NEXT Atlantas Aaron Harang (10-10, 3.87 ERA) faces Washingtons Stephen Strasburg (11-10, 3.43) on Wednesday as the Nationals go for the sweep in the three-game series. Air Max 1 Scontate Online . Despite Arsenals financial firepower, the 31-year-old midfielder was the only arrival in the January transfer window. Signed until the end of the season as injury cover, Kallstrom might not be fit until mid-March after arriving Friday at Arsenal having injured his back earlier in the week while training with Spartak Moscow. Air Max 1 Outlet Italia . Or at least on everyone elses expectations. Costa Rica followed up its surprise win over Uruguay with another World Cup stunner on Friday, beating four-time champion Italy 1-0 to secure a spot in the next round and eliminate England in the process. http://www.airmax1scontate.it/ . Some members of the U.S. Congress arent so sure. They say Russia isnt doing enough to assure that athletes will be protected at the Feb. 7-23 games, happening not far from an Islamic insurgency that Russias huge security apparatus has struggled for two decades to quell. Russia may run greater risks in towns outside the tightly controlled Olympic zone. Suicide bombs last month a few hundred kilometres (miles) away have increased concerns, and an Islamic warlord has urged his followers to attack the Sochi Olympics, Russian President Vladimir Putins pet project.TORONTO – Blue Jays manager John Gibbons is still waiting for his first win under Major League Baseballs new challenge system; the skipper is 0-3 in the regular season, 0-6 including Grapefruit League play. Still, hes a supporter. "I think in the long run it will be good," said Gibbons. Gibbons didnt challenge a play in Wednesday nights win over the Astros, which, upon further review, may have been overturned. Ryan Goins was picked off first base in the sixth inning but it appeared first baseman Marc Krauss glove swept the dirt and tagged Goins high on the shoulder after the runner had touched the bag. The Blue Jays didnt have access to all replay angles; the angles they had were inconclusive. Gibbons has previously expressed regret that the challenge system has sapped the intensity of manager/umpire arguments. Hes worried about the in-game delays and the effect on pace of play. Rather than just complaining, Gibbons proposes a solution. "Keep it the way it is but dont give the teams the benefit of being able to look at it behind the scenes," he said. "I think if, itd be like the old days, you could go out and argue if you think the guy missed it that bad you go out and argue. Of course theyre not going to look at it. This way, then they can say, Okay, you think I missed it that bad, check it out. I think what happens when you have the ability to look at it behind the scenes, you can go out there on every close play there is. "In a lot of ways youre guessing. I think that slows the game down. If youre that serious about a particular call and you think he missed it, roll the dice without the benefit of looking at it." Gibbons incorrectly challenged a call in the fifth inning of Thursday nights game against Houston when the replay system confirmed Melky Cabrera was out on a bang-bang play at first base. WAGNERS LONG DAY Neil Wagner threw two scoreless innings in Torontos 7-3 win over Houston on Wednesday night. It was the culmmination of a long day of travel for Wagner, who was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. Nike Air Max 1 Italia. Wagner was in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where the Bisons were getting ready to play the LeHigh Valley Ironpigs. He took an hour and a half taxi ride to the Philadelphia airport, flew to Toronto and arrived at the stadium 10 minutes before first pitch. "It was actually just kind of easy," said Wagner. "I just woke up, did my normal thing in the morning and then instead of going through the normal pre-game routine I was just travelling, got here and I was able to play a little catch." Wagner got his arm loose playing catch with left fielder Melky Cabrera at the start of each defensive inning. Casey Janssen and J.A. Happ are both expected to come off the disabled list sooner rather than later, which will create a logjam in the bullpen. Wagner is in his final option year, the reason he got sent down last month, and knows he could again fall victim to the business of the game. "Options are the one thing for free in this game that you dont want," said Wagner. "I cant control having them, I cant give them to other people so I have them and if I get optioned against at some point, so be it. Just keep doing what I do and hopefully at some point, be back." DELABAR RESTS Reliever Steve Delabar was in good humour one day after taking a line drive off the outside of his right leg, below the knee. The ball ricocheted to Edwin Encarnacion at first base, who stepped on the bag for the easy out. "That was the plan," said Delabar. "When I came out of the bullpen they said, if you get hit with a line drive make sure your leg is angled." Delabar is using the RICE treatment method with the bruising: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. While Delabar wont pitch on Thursday, he doesnt expect to miss any time. "I could go, yes," said Delabar. "But I think theyre going to be cautious with it." ' ' '