We feel pretty good about the first half. No one was giving us a chance and some said we wouldn’t win 30 games all year. We’ve had a couple stretches where we’ve been one of the better teams in the league, where we’ve won eight out of 10 and done things like that. We’ve done that with all the injuries and a couple position players in and out.

We’ve shown how good we can be and next year we can go out in the free agent market, get three or four established players and have a couple young kids develop in the minors. We’re not that far away from winning. The foundation of the team is here; there are five or six of us here who feel like we’re the core.

We never really give up or think we’re out of the game. We feel we can come back all the time. Even if we were dominated the day before, everyone will be laughing and having fun the next day. That’s the best mentality you can have when you play so many games. You have to have fun and have a short memory.

Manny Acta has been good for us in that way. He doesn’t get too upset or too happy at anytime. When we’re playing good he’s the same as when we’re playing bad. That relieves the tension.

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After this weekend, we’ll get four days off. Some people like to go places. I’ve never really gone anywhere but home, but I might go down to the Bahamas this year. A lot of guys will probably go to Miami and hang out and relax there. That would be very convenient because we open up the second half in Miami, so it would be nice to go somewhere where it’s actually fun to go hang out.

It’s nice to get away but for me it doesn’t really matter. I don’t feel like I need a break. I’ve never had a problem playing every day, but I’m younger than most of the guys. I almost feel more comfortable playing every day. Days off are nice, but at the same time if you’re in a groove or feel comfortable, you don’t want a day off.

But it’s good to refresh yourself if you have bumps and bruises to get back to 100 percent and get ready for the second half.

As told to The Examiner’s John Keim.

Nats third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is one of baseball’s rising stars and, at 22, the face of the franchise. Now he’ll share his thoughts with The Examiner’s readers each week throughout the baseball season.