WATCH: Howie Kendrick Extends Nationals Lead with RBI-Single in 7th

The hero of Game 5 of NLDS for the Nationals has delivered again. Howie Kendrick knocked in a run off an RBI-single to extend the Nationals lead to 2-0 in the seventh inning of Game 1 of NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Anibal Sanchez of the Nationals and Miles Mikolas of the Cardinals were involved in a 1-0 duel. But Mikolas got pulled in the sixth, giving the Nationals an opportunity to get at the Cardinals bullpen. And they did in the seventh.

Adam Eaton hit a one-out triple into deep left center. The Cardinals opted to intentionally walk Anthony Rendon. After getting Juan Soto to strike out swinging, Kendrick lined a 1-0 slider from reliever John Brebbia to drive in Eaton.

The Nationals would ultimately load the bases with two outs. However, Michael A. Taylor flied out to center to end the inning. While they stranded three runners, they’ll take the insurance run going into the eighth.