The Nationals went into the post-season with the best record
in baseball – 98 wins that surprised many skeptics who had said that the
Nationals were too young, too inexperienced, and relied too much on their
pitching. But regular-season records and
statistics are erased come October, when everyone starts with a clean slate
(including major-league-leading 21-game winner, Gio Gonzalez, who was less than
stellar in his two post-season starts).
In game 1 of the National League Division Series (NLDS), the
Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 3-2. This despite Bryce Harper going 0-5, Gonzalez
walking 7 batters in 5 innings, and 10 runners left on base. It was Tyler Moore’s 2-run single in the 8th
inning that made the difference, and it was all the Nats needed to squeak by
the Cards, who also didn’t play particularly well on that day.
In the second game, the Cards won by a score of 12-4, thanks
to two home runs by outfielder Carlos Beltrán.
The Nats left 9 runners on base that night – again, a game they did not
play very well.
For game 3, the Nationals came home to DC but still lost
8-0. The Cardinals had 14 hits, and
their starter, Chris Carpenter, pitched 5 2/3 innings very well despite having
missed most of the regular season with injuries. This time, the Nationals left 11 players on
base (are you sensing a pattern here with the LOB?). For sure, the Nationals were playing so lousy
that they were certain to be eliminated in game 4.
However, in game 4, after Jordan Zimmermann and Tyler
Clippard each struck out their 3 batters in relief, Jayson Werth hit a towering
home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Nationals a 3-1
win. It was one of those moments you’ll
never forget, whether you were one of the lucky 45,000 fans to be at Nationals
Park that night or whether you were watching at home. It’s right up there with Kirk Gibson’s home
run in the NLCS back in 1988 and Curt Schilling’s bloody sock in the 2004
postseason. The Nationals were still
alive, and all of a sudden everyone thought they could beat the Cardinals in
game 5 and move on to face the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS.
But as memorable as game 4 was because of Werth’s home run,
game 5 will go down in Nationals infamy as the biggest heartbreak in the team’s
short history. In the top of the ninth
inning, with the Nationals leading 7-5 and one more out to go before they could
clinch their division, Nationals’ closer, Drew Storen, loaded the bases. Then the Cardinals’ Daniel Descalso ripped a
two-run single off the glove of shortstop Ian Desmond, bringing in two runs to
tie the game. Pete Kozma then followed
with a two-run single to right, and before you knew it, the Nationals trailed
by two.
The Nationals were unable to get on base in the bottom of
the ninth, so just like that, the Cardinals move on to the NLCS. It was a stunning and crushing loss, and some
of us still can’t believe that the team that we supported all season is all
done for the year.
So now what? With
both the Orioles and the Nationals being eliminated on the same day, what are
DC/Baltimore fans supposed to do now?
Well I, for one, am going to root for the Detroit Tigers (though I
seldom root for an American League team).
I’m going to keep watching the next 2 weeks of baseball (hoping that the Yankees choke and that Verlander, Cabrera, and Fielder can put on a good show), and I’m going
to look forward to next year, when my husband and I can buy another five-game
ticket plan, pitching ace Stephen Strasburg will hopefully be able to pitch for
a full season, and most of the players in the Nationals team will be returning
next year. Their fans will still be here
(including the new ones who joined the bandwagon this season); wearing our
Nationals jerseys with pride and showing off our NATTITUDE.
So stay tuned, amigos - I'm sure I'll still have plenty to say during the playoffs! :-)
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