A few weeks ago, the Nationals were down and out, battling to stay in front of the Florida Marlins. Now, after a weekend sweep of the Brewers in Milwaukee, the Nationals, led by Alfonso Soriano’s hot bat, are on the rise. Winners of three in a row and 12 out of their last 17, the Nationals face off against their NL East rivals this week in a set of six games that could make or break their season.

This weekend, timely hitting and solid pitching, a rare combination for Washington these days, led the Nats over the Brewers. Friday night’s game was close until the 7th inning. With the Nats clinging to a 5-3 lead after a rare good start by Ramon Ortiz, Brian Schneider launched a three-run double to break open the game. The hot-hitting Jose Vidro added 3 hits of his own and 2 RBI.

Saturday’s game was more of a thriller. Down by a run in the 9th inning, Brian Schneider stepped to the plate with the tying run on. But no matter, said the Nats catcher, and with one swing off of Brewers closer Derrick Turnbow, Schneider turned a one-run deficit into a dramatic one-run win for the Nationals as they edged the Brewers 4-3.

But the real story of the weekend came on Sunday when Soriano, proving doubters, this one included, wrong, homered for the 20th and 21st times of the season. In an 8-4 win, Soriano provided a grand slam and a solo home run. It would be all the offense the Nats would need as they guaranteed their first series sweep of the season. For Soriano, if he remains in Washington, this summer could be historic. He now sits four home runs behind Albert Pujols for the Major League lead, and Pujols will be out for a while with a strained oblique muscle. With a few more stolen bases, Soriano could be eying another run at a 40-40 season. With the Braves and Phillies on tap and the Yankees looming on the horizon, the Nats sure could use all the offense and pitching they can get.