Ian Desmond is having a dismal season for the Washington Nationals. Entering last night’s game, Desmond was hitting .204 with a .248 OBP, seven home runs and 24 RBIs, while also having committed 21 errors, which is the second-most in MLB. The Nationals were running out of options as Desmond continued to harm the team, but then something happened recently that could potentially turn the whole season around for the Nationals’ shortstop.

“It was funny,” Desmond said. “The other day I was walking out of the park and Cal Ripken (Jr.) was out there signing autographs in the parking lot. He kind of grabbed me and he said, ‘Hey, you know back in ’93, through the first 80 games, I was hitting .199. I finished with a pretty good year. You’re gonna be all right.’

“That kind of gave me a little bit of hope. I was like, ‘All right, if he did it and grinded through it, then I can, too.’

Ripken Jr. would battle back to hit .254 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs in 1993, which is almost identical to Desmond’s season averages over the past three seasons.

Last night against the New York Mets, Desmond went 2-for-4, including an infield single that led to a throwing error that allowed Clint Robinson to score the Nationals’ fifth run. He also hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning that put the game out of reach, extending the lead to 7-2. The best news about the home run is that it was to right-center field, which is where Desmond’s power is when he’s feeling good at the plate.

Desmond is one of the streakiest hitters in MLB. Although he’s never had such a prolonged slump like he has this season, Desmond has the ability to get just as hot in the second half, and if that happens, the Nationals will have no problem sewing up their third National League East division title in the last four years. Then we will all look back and think, “Why was Cal Ripken Jr. randomly signing autographs outside of Nationals Park?”

Jason Fletcher is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.