The Washington Nationals evens the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 1-1 with a 4-2 win Friday in Game 2.
How The Game Was Won
The Nationals got to Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw early, scoring three runs in the first two innings, continuing the Dodgers ace’s postseason woes. Howie Kendrick knocked in Trea Turner in the first inning. Then, with two outs the Nationals rocked Kershaw with RBIs from Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon to extend Washington’s lead to 3-0. The Nationals never looked back.
Player of the Game
That is because Stephen Strasburg was magnificent on the mound for the Nationals. Strasburg was perfect through four innings before his perfect game was broken up in the fifth inning. He still breezed through the first five innings, but tapered off in the sixth allowing one run off a Justin Turner sacrifice fly. Still, it was an incredible outing by Strasburg, who finished allowing one run and three hits while striking out 10 in six innings to get the win.
Max Scherzer Comes out of the Bullpen in Eighth
Nationals manager Davey Martinez turned to Game 3 starter Max Scherzer in the eighth inning out of the bullpen. Sean Doolittle gave up a solo home run to Max Muncy that cut the Nationals’ lead to 3-2. While the Nationals got the run back, Scherzer was called upon to close the door. And he did getting Gavin Lux, Chris Taylor, and Joc Pederson to each strike out swinging.
Scherzer skipped his bullpen session Friday in order to pitch in Game 2 ahead of his Game 3 start and he did not disappoint. This outing out of the bullpen gives him confidence that he may have been missing with his most recent postseason struggles, including the NL Wild Card Game on Tuesday.
Nationals Have to Figure out Max Muncy
Max Muncy has been the star of the series for the Dodgers. He belted a solo home run in the seventh off Doolittle. He is now hitting .500 for the series with four runs driven in. He is also responsible for two additional runs on his grounder that skipped through the glove of Howie Kendrick in Game 1. That’s six of the Dodgers eight runs be created off Muncy’s bat. The Dodgers are deep at the plate but Muncy appears to be centerpiece in this series.
Nationals Bullpen Still There Achilles Heel
If you throw out the four scoreless innings Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg has had from the bullpen this postseason, the Nationals relievers are struggling with a 9.00 ERA. That’s five earned runs allowed in five innings and a 2.20 WHIP.
If the Nationals are to pull off the upset of the Dodgers and advance beyond the NLDS for the first time, their bullpen must be better. And not the fumbling bullpen it was during the regular season.
