Comparative dates on which the Nationals notched their 59th win, each season:
2012 - 26th July (98th match of season)2005 - 9th August (112th match)
2011 - 18th August (122nd match)
2007 - 1st September (136th match)
2006 - 3rd September (136th match)
2010 - 5th September (137th match)
2008 - 23rd September (157th match - final win of season)*
2009 - 4th October (162nd match - final win of season)
*They would finish 59-102; in 2008, one rained-out late-September home match vs the Marlins was not re-scheduled
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THIS DAY WITH THE '05 OVERACHIEVERS: Tuesday 26th July 2005 saw the Nats drop the opener of a series at Atlanta, 3-2 in 10 innings - Luis Ayala walked Andruw Jones with the bases loaded to force in the winning run...record now 55-45...
http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=250726115---
According to ESPN radio (and I think Charlie and Dave's post-match show too) this is the first time the combined Expos/Nats franchise has been 20 wins over .500 since the finale of the 1994 Expos - The Champion That Never Was, erased by the strike.