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| The Nats prevailed in a close Game 1 in St. Louis. (AP) |
It was a back-and-forth affair in Busch, but the 98-win Nationals upended the defending champs in comeback fashion. The 3-2 victory gives Washington a 1-0 lead over the Cardinals in the NLDS ...
Hero: Gio Gonzalez didn't have his usual command Sunday. His line on the day tells the strange tale: 5 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 5 K, 7 BB. It was the first time Gonzalez had walked seven or more in a game since June 11, 2011, when was a member of the Oakland A's. In Game 1, just 59 of his 110 pitches in Game 1 went for strikes. So it fell to the Washington bullpen to keep it close and hope for the best. They did just that. Craig Stammen, Ryan Mattheus, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen combined to shut out perhaps the NL's best offense over the final four innings of the game. They faced high-leverage situation after high-leverage situation, and they didn't wilt. It also didn't hurt that Davey Johnson is perhaps the best around at running a bullpen.
Goat(s): In the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals had a great chance to put Game 1 on ice. With a 2-1 lead, the Cards loaded the bases on an error, single and hit batsman. Then Allen Craig grounded into a 6-2 fielder's choice. Scoring chance squandered. Then Yadier Molina grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning. Scoring chance squandered. So, yes, two of St. Louis's best hitters failed to drive in a run despite such an accommodating situation. The Nats took the lead in the eighth and held on.
Turning point: The Nats' other rookie outfielder, Tyler Moore, came up big in the eighth. With two outs and runners on second and third, Moore dumped a two-strike single in front of Carlos Beltran to plate the tying and eventual winning runs.
It was over when: Considering the Cardinals brought Jon Jay, Beltran and Matt Holliday to the plate in the ninth inning of a one-run game, it was over when it was officially over.
Next: These two go at it again in St. Louis on Monday. Jordan Zimmermann opposes Jaime Garcia starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.
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