Like the Washington Capitals two years ago with Alex Ovechkin this baseball team in our nation’s beleaguered capitol has the look of a team on a mission.
After ‘losing’ Bryce Harper to free agency and starting the season 19-31 this team has been the best team in major league baseball even without their starting centerfielder Victor Robles in the playoff lineup.
It is a team hitting on all cylinders at just the right time. Clutch hitting, great starting pitching, and the bullpen coming around when it matters in post season play.
They went on the road for their first ever Game 1 in a NLCS and their fourth starter Anibal Sanchez promptly threw a brilliant one-hitter for 7 2/3 innings against the St’ Louis Cardinals as the Nationals won the opener 2-0.
It was a masterful performance which bodes well for the Nationals with Scherzer, Strasburg, and Corbin all rested and back in their normal rest rotation.
It was a gritty win with the heart of the Nationals lineup not getting their normal clutch hitting with runners on base.
But they found a way to win on the road doing the little things behind a great pitching performance by Anibal Sanchez who was an Atlanta Brave before joining the Nationals and reshaping his pitching style.
Here’s Anibal Sanchez last season as an Atlanta Brave before he joined the Nationals. Funny how you can lose a franchise player like Bryce Harper and then get lucky with a mid level pickup which fits just right for a baseball team.
Game 2 later today after the OU-Texas game. What a great time of the year on the sports calendar.