NLDS 2019

After storming into the NLDS with a wild card win against the Brewers, the Nats were ready to take on the best team in the NL, the 106 win Los Angeles Dodgers. Unlike past Nats NLDS series, we didn't have home field advantage, so the series started out with two games in LA. The Nats went down quietly in game 1, losing 6-0 with Patrick Corbin on the mound. The Nats jumped on Clayton Kershaw early in game 2, Strasburg pitched a gem and Scherzer even pitched a perfect inning in relief getting the Nats a 4-2 win to even the series heading back to DC.

Owen and I went to game 3 and it started out great with Juan Soto hitting a two-run homer in the first. Aníbal Sánchez stepped up his game and pitched 5 innings of one-run ball and handed the ball to another starter coming out of the bullpen, lefty Patrick Corbin, for the 6th. Corbin gave up a lead-off single, then got two quick outs before the wheels came off. A long and painful series of 0-2 counts with two outs all leading to hits, and somehow the Dodgers scored 7 in the 6th putting the game out of reach and taking a 2-1 series lead.



Nats fans were a bit deflated coming into game 4 -- there was rain in the forecast, and people must not have wanted to potentially witness the visitors celebrating a NLDS series win on our field yet again, because for the first time in Nats playoff history, it wasn't a sell-out. That didn't deter us of course. Owen and I were in our usual seats, and Mom and Katherine somehow scored tickets in one of the Jefferson Suites behind home plate. Max Scherzer gave up a home run in the 1st putting the Nats down early, but then he found his groove keeping things close. Katherine and I decided to switch off sitting with Owen in the stands and Mom in the suite, so Katherine came up to the "cheap" seats in the third and I made my way down to the box. The Nats loaded the bases in the third, but the Dodgers limited the damage to a long Anthony Rendon sac fly that tied up the game. Then the rains started falling, and Mom's friends that had the suite told us to go get Owen and Katherine sneak them into the suite...sweet! With all of us together, we enjoyed the shelter, free food and beer, and even better the Ryan Zimmerman's epic three-run home run in the bottom of the 5th to blow open the game! Scherzer managed to go seven without giving up another run, and passed the ball to Doolittle and Hudson who closed out the win sending the series back to LA!

Game 5 this time was a different experience this time, what with not being at home, and maybe that was just what we needed. Strasburg was pitching for the Nats and the game started off eerily similar to the Wild Card game with the Dodgers getting a 2-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the second to jump out to an early lead. Like Max in the WC game though, Stras found his grove after the rocky start and kept the game close. Soto drove in a run in the 6th, like the WC game again (and also game 7 of the 1924 World Series for what it's worth), and the Nats were down 3-1 in the 8th. Then Rendon and Soto hit back-to-back home runs to tie the game. After a scoreless 9th, the game went to extra innings, and the Nats loaded the bases in the top of the 10th. Then Howie Kendrick game up to bat and hit a cathartic grand-slam, slaying the Dodgers and the Nats first-round curse. On to the National League Championship Series!!!

(click here for all the pictures)