Nationals finally advance to NLCS in 10-inning 7-3 victory against Dodgers
For the first time in franchise history, the Washington Nationals are heading to St. Louis to face the Cardinals in the NLCS, following a grand 7-3 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. While many had predicted another heartbreaking loss and elimination for Washington, the Nationals have once again proved that they were still staying in the fight from first pitch to final out. For fans, this is both a moment of triumph and a sigh of relief as the Nationals finally overcome their first round troubles with ease and strength.
Stephen Strasburg threw six innings that yielded six hits, three runs, one walk, and seven strikeouts, despite a shaky beginning. Tanner Rainey, Patrick Corbin, Daniel Hudson, and Sean Doolittle provided excellent scoreless relief work. For Corbin, his outing was his ultimate redemption after his last relief appearance fared poorly for him.
In the sixth inning, Juan Soto hit an RBI single that scored Anthony Rendon, and in the eighth, Rendon and Soto hit back-to-back solo home runs to tie the game. But the true heroic offensive play was Howie Kendrick’s 10th inning grand slam that solidified the Nationals’ victory and sealed the Dodgers’ fate. The Nationals’ knack for late-inning heroics has once again saved the game for them in so many ways no one would ever expect.
Tomorrow night, Aníbal Sánchez opens the Nationals’ first NLCS against Miles Mikolas. First pitch is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on TBS.
