Maybe the Mets should have re-signed free agent Daniel Murphy this past offseason? Not only is the now-Nationals second baseman putting up MVP-caliber numbers, but he's personally making them pay for not ponying up.

Wednesday, Murphy hit two home runs and drove home three in a 4-2 Nationals victory. It pushed the Washington lead in the NL East to 5 1/2 games. That's actually the lead over the second-place Marlins, because the Mets now trail the Nats by six after being swept in three games.

Daniel Murphy goes upper tank against his former team. USATSI

Murphy's numbers against the Mets in nine games this season?

.429/.447/.800, four homers, 11 RBI.

Murphy, 31, is leading the NL with a .352 average and 103 hits on the season. Throw in a .394 OBP and .590 slugging to boot. He also already has 14 home runs, equaling his career high, which was set last season in 499 at-bats. He's had 293 at-bats this season.

In fact, since Murphy became a full-time player (2012), here are his home runs per season: 6, 13, 9, 14 and now 14 before the halfway point. It all started last postseason, when he had seven homers through nine games in the NLDS and NLCS.

What a remarkable run for Murphy.

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