Two months ago, when the Portland Timbers were merely struggling to keep their heads above water, circumstances like these would certainly have been cause for concern, if not a downright kiss of death.

But on this Sunday night, as the heatwave beat down on Providence Park, the absences of star midfielder Evander and head coach Phil Neville — both of whom were suspended due to yellow card accumulation — were merely footnotes in one of the Timbers’ most explosive outings of the season.

Portland 4, Nashville 1.

And it really wasn’t that close.

Forward Jonathan Rodriguez recorded a brace, and was an overturned penalty kick away from potentially logging Portland’s first ever hat trick. Midfielder Eryk Williamson and striker Felipe Mora, meanwhile, both added goals to help the Timbers continue a six-game unbeaten streak at home.

Portland (9-8-6, 33 points) scored all four of its goals in a scintillating 11-minute stretch between the 18th and 29th minutes in Providence Park, torching a Nashville defense that had allowed 26 goals prior to Sunday, while sliding into fifth in the Western Conference’s table.

“I didn’t expect this, to be fair,” assistant coach Dave van den Bergh said of the four-goal half. “Are we capable of this? Absolutely. But Nashville is a stout defensive opponent, and so it was good to see the way we acted and reacted to them. The guys followed the plan and it was pretty good to see everybody firing on all cylinders.”

The offensive avalanche started early, and just when the heat-soaked crowd had re-settled itself after the requisite cheers, they were soon forced back into raucous celebration.

Rodriguez got things started in the 18th, forcing a turnover at midfield before carrying it to the box where he dumped it off to Mora. The striker then sliced it past Nashville SC keeper Joe Willis for his 10th goal of the season.

“I’m so happy about the match and the result we had today,” Mora said. “It was, I would say, a perfect first half. We trained really hard this week, but specifically on pressing and getting those goals, so we’re really happy about that.”

The green smoke emanating from the Timbers Army had barely cleared before the Timbers were off and running in transition once more. This time, Rodriguez kept it himself for a 2-0 lead in the 21st minute. He doubled up in the 24th, taking a cross from midfielder Santiago Moreno and maneuvering through the box before launching a missile past Willis.

Rodriguez’s goals lifted his total to 11 on the year, and in joining Evander and Mora in double digits, flung this Timbers attack into rarified air. For the first time in Portland’s history, three players have recorded at least 10 goals in a single season.

“I think inside the pitch you can see we get along so well and we try a lot to have fun while we’re playing,” Mora said of Rodriguez, “and I think we’re enjoying playing alongside each other.”

Turnovers leading to transition opportunities and adept pitch-tilting passing were staples of Portland’s success Sunday.

Williamson and Moreno, both of whom were integral in carrying the playmaking load in Evander’s absence, connected for the Timbers’ fourth goal in the 29th. Moreno collected his second assist of the evening when he found a streaking Williamson in the center of the box.

The fourth and final goal brought the beleaguered Willis out to the edge of his box, where he beckoned his teammates to huddle around him. Amid the incessant humming of Providence Park, he gave his defense an ear full. Portland had scored on all four of its on-target shots, and there was plenty to talk about.

Sunday’s first-half flurry was the Timbers’ third four-goal half of the season, and somehow matters only got worse from there for Portland’s opposition on this night.

Nashville (6-8-8, 26 points) midfielder Tah Anunga was whistled for a red card after a 35th-minute foul, and in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time, Nashville’s best look of the night found the back of the net before it was deemed offside.

Two minutes later, Rodriguez nearly had a golden opportunity to make Timbers’ history. When the Uruguayan winger was handed a penalty kick, only to have it waved off after a lengthy review, it set the stage for a second half which saw the Timbers, and their DP, repeatedly swing for the fences.

Diego Chara said postgame that the team was on a “different level” in the first half, but that he felt as though they relaxed too much after taking such a commanding lead.

Nashville, its confidence shaken and lineup down a man, provided little resistance as Portland orchestrated run after run, toying with the crowd’s emotion deep into the night.

In the 82nd minute, the Timbers’ defense was finally caught out of position on a night in which it had been an excellent undercard to a terrific performance from the attack. Nashville forward Sam Surridge slid in behind the Portland backline, collecting a late cross for an easy goal past keeper James Pantemis, who had an otherwise stellar night highlighted by a collection of impressive saves.

“I’m a little disappointed that we couldn’t keep a clean sheet,” van den Bergh said. “That would have been really big for James and our defenders, but at the end of the day, when you’re facing Nashville at home, and you tell me in advance that we’re going to win 4-1, I would have signed on the dotted line.”

Despite continued chances, Portland never found paydirt again. Rodriguez never stopped trying, however, positioning himself for a potential third goal until the very last minute of the night.

Next up: The Timbers host Western Conference foe Real Salt Lake next Saturday at 7:25 p.m.