Washington, DC – Coming into Game 5, the Washington Nationals were feeling confident. They were pitching their ace, Max Scherzer, on an extra day of rest. Their offense was going against a starter operating on 3 days of rest. They were full of confidence. However, there was some drama, since the Metro Board announced Tuesday that rail service would end at 11:30 p.m. on game night. This would most likely leave many patrons stranded if the game was still in play and they would have to find alternative ways home. In spite of this, the stadium was sold out at first pitch. Players and fans knew, the winner of this game would travel to Chicago to take on the Cubs in the NLCS.
When first pitch happened, the stadium was pumped, the players were pumped, it was an elimination game atmosphere. The fans lived and died with each pitch. Scherzer sat the Dodgers down 1-2-3 in the top of the first and got the fans whooping into a frenzy. The Dodgers subdued them slightly by sitting the Nats down the same way in the home half. However, in the inning, the Nats leadoff man Trea Turner hit a smoking comebacker that struck Rich Hill in the throwing wrist. He stayed in the game, but his wrist became noticeably redder as the game wore on. In the top of the second, Scherzer continued to be dominant and sat the Dodgers down 1-2-3 again. The Nats got the first hit of the game by Daniel Murphy with a lead-off single. He stole second during Ryan Zimmerman’s at bat and scored when Danny Espinosa singled. This put the Nats up 1-0, and it stayed that way for a few innings. Hill got pulled in the third inning after 55 pitches. The Dodgers offense got their first hit in the top of the fifth, when they loaded the bases with 1 out, but couldn’t manage to get a run across.
Scherzer struggled through the sixth, and looked to his offense for some run support in the bottom half. Jayson Werth walked to lead it off, and was stuck there as two outs quickly happened. Ryan Zimmerman turned a 1-1 pitch into a rope down the left field line, and Werth was going all the way. He shouldn’t have been sent home as he was out by a country mile at home to end the inning.
Scherzer came out to get one out, and have his night end. That one out was going to be against Joc Pederson. Pederson took a fastball on the outside corner to the opposite field, and the ball carried out of the park to even the game at 1. Following this home run, Scherzer exited the game, and the Nationals lost the strike zone. Six straight balls were pitched,which walked catcher Yasmani Grandal. Howie Kendrick then hit a flare single to left field. Following a Charlie Colberson strikeout, Carlos Ruiz singled home Grandal, and two batters later, Justin Turner tripled to deep center scoring both Kendrick and Ruiz to put the Dodgers up 4-1. This brought a sudden hush across the crowd in DC.
In the home half, Danny Espinosa walked, and on a 0-2 pitch, Chris Heisey hit a pinch hit two run homer to bring the score to 4-3. Following the homer, the Dodgers brought in Kenley Jansen, their closer. The Nationals loaded the bases, but couldn’t push another run across as Anthony Rendon struck out to end the inning. The seveth inning took an hour and 6 minutes in real time. The stadium became noticeably emptier as the top of the eighth wore on. The Dodgers got two runners on, but stranded them as the Nationals kept the deficit at one run. Stephen Drew led the home half of the eighth off, and drew a walk. However, a failed bunt attempt, long fly out, and strikeout ended the threat for the Nats in the 8th. Between the eighth and ninth innings, the Dodgers trotted Clayton Kershaw out of the bullpen.
Kershaw pitched Tuesday and threw 110 pitches. Kershaw threw in the bullpen the entire top half. The Nationals didn’t allow the Dodgers anything in the top of the 9th, and entered the bottom of the ninth down 1. The Dodgers kept their closer on the mound to start the ninth. Trea Turner struck out to lead off the inning. Bryce Harper walked to the plate and the crowd that remained chanting, “Let’s go Harper”. Harper walked on four pitches. This brought up Jayson Werth to face the Dodgers closer. Jayson Werth fell behind 0-2, then worked the count full. He worked a walk to bring up the batting champion Daniel Murphy. The Dodgers countered by bringing out Kershaw to face Murphy with one out and two on. Daniel Murphy had a meatball to hit on a 2- count, and got just underneath it. He popped out to second base. The Nats then brought up Wilmer Difo as a pinch hitter to try and hit Bryce Harper in. Difo went down on strikes, and for the third time in five years, the Nationals lose in the divisional series.
The Nationals lost three games this series by a combined 3 runs. Dusty Baker has now lost his last nine potential series clinching games. For the Nationals, it is on to 2017. For the Dodgers, it’s on to Chicago.