St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals

 

Game 1:  Lance Lynn vs. Jordan Zimmerman, Nationals Park

 

NATS BLOW LEAD LATE, RALLY EVEN LATER TO WIN WILD NLDS GAME 1

Werth Reaches Base Safely in All 6 PAs

 

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (AP) – The Washington Nationals blew a 5-2 lead in a devastating top of the eighth inning, only to rally to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth and win it in the 10th, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7 in Game 1 of the NLDS at Nationals Park.  One of the wildest postseason games in recent memory featured a five-run Cardinals eighth inning, 11 walks issued by St. Louis pitching, a perfect day (six times reaching base in six plate appearances) for probable National League MVP frontrunner Jayson Werth, 15 different pitchers used by the two clubs, and a walk-off hit to wrap up the madcap contest.

 

The game started innocently enough.  The Nationals drew first blood in the bottom of the first, when Anthony Rendon doubled with one out and scored on Werth’s base hit, giving Washington a 1-0 advantage.  The Cardinals tied the game in the top of the second when Matt Adams led off with a double, advanced to third on Jhonny Peralta’s base hit, and scored when Yadier Molina grounded into a double play.

 

The Nationals then seized control of the game in the third, driving St. Louis starter Lance Lynn from the mound in the process.  Rendon and Werth walked to open the frame and Adam LaRoche followed with a base hit to left-center, scoring Rendon and chasing Werth to third.  Ian Desmond then roped a double to right-center, plating Werth and advancing Desmond to third.  That was it for Lynn, who left having allowed six hits and two walks in two-plus innings.  He was replaced by Marco Gonzales, who, with the infield in, retired Bryce Harper on a grounder to third, with the runners holding.  Wilson Ramos was walked intentionally, but Asdrubel Cabrera lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring LaRoche to make it 4-1.  Nats pitcher Jordan Zimmerman then struck out to end the inning.

 

It remained 4-1 into the fifth, when the Cardinals threatened.  Randal Grichuk led off with a base hit to left and Kolten Wong’s single put runners on first and second.  Daniel Delcalso then hit for Gonzales and laced a double into the right field corner, scoring Grichuk to make it 4-2 and leaving runners on second and third with none out.  Washington manager Matt Williams wasted no time lifting Zimmerman and inserting Jerry Blevins into the game, and Blevins made the move look brilliant.  He fanned Matt Carpenter and Jon Jay, pitched around Matt Holliday and walked him, filling the bases, then retired Adams on a routine fly to right to escape further damage.

 

The Nationals got that run back in the bottom of the sixth when Denard Span drew a lead-off walk from Carlos Martinez, and stole second.  Rendon struck out, but while pitching to Werth, Martinez was called for a balk, advancing Span to third.  Werth then lined a base hit to center, scoring Span to make it 5-2.

 

Craig Stammen and Matt Thornton held the Cardinals at bay through the seventh and Tyler Clippard was brought on to pitch the eighth for Washington.  Things started off just fine.  Clippard fanned Holliday and retired Adams on a grounder to first.  But Peralta singled to left and Clippard then walked Molina, putting runners on first and second.  An infield hit off the bat of Grichuk filled the bases and Williams, sensing a full meltdown on the part of Clippard, summoned closer Rafael Soriano in from the bullpen, as part of a double switch bringing Danny Espinosa into the game to play second base.  It didn’t go well.  Wong ripped the first pitch he saw from Soriano into the right field corner for a double, scoring Peralta and Molina, with Grichuk holding at third.  The Washington lead was now just a single run.  The Cardinals sent A.J. Pierzynski up to pinch hit and, on his first pitch from Soriano, Pierzynski lined a single to right center, scoring both runners and giving the Cardinals their first lead of the game, 6-5.  The partisan crowd was stunned.  But St. Louis wasn’t done.  Soriano walked Carpenter on four pitches and then uncorked a wild pitch, advancing the runners to second and third.  Then he walked Jay to fill the bases and Williams emerged again from the dugout, this time to a chorus of boos, to lift Soriano in favor of Drew Storen.  Storen proceeded to walk Holliday—the fourth free pass of the inning issued by Nationals pitchers—to force in the fifth run of the frame.  Adams finally ended the carnage by flying out.  Five runs had scored and the Cardinals now led, 7-5.

 

Pat Neshek cruised through a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth for St. Louis and Storen did likewise for Washington in the top of the ninth. 

 

Trevor Rosenthal came on for St. Louis in the bottom of the ninth to close out the game.  Peter Bourjos was inserted in center field, as a defensive replacement, with Jay shifting to right.  Rosenthal’s outing got off to an ominous start as he walked Werth leading off the inning, the sixth straight time the Nats left fielder had reached base safely in the game.  LaRoche flied to center for the first out, but Desmond cracked his second two-bagger of the game, putting the tying runs on second and third.  Harper then drew a free pass, loading the bases and Rosenthal then walked Ramos on five pitches, forcing Werth home to make it 7-6.  Ryan Zimmerman then came to the plate as a pinch hitter and laced a 1-0 fastball into center field for a base hit, scoring Desmond, but Bourjos gunned Harper down at the plate, keeping the winning run from scoring, and leaving men on first and third with two outs.  Espinosa flied to right, sending the game to extra innings.

 

Aaron Barrett, the eighth Washington pitcher of the day, entered in the top of the tenth and yielded a one-out single to Bourjos, but Ramos cut the baserunner down trying to steal second and Carpenter flied to right to end the inning.

 

Sam Freeman was inserted for the Cardinals in the bottom of the inning and Span greeted him with a double to left.  With Werth in the hole, the Cardinals had to pitch to Rendon and the Nationals third baseman came through with a base hit to center.  Span, one of the fastest runners in the major leagues, scored easily and the Nationals had eked out a wild game one victory.

 

 

10/3/2014, StL14-Was14, Nationals Park

 

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Cardinals         0  1  0  0  1  0  0  5  0  0     7 13  1     9  2

2014 Nationals         1  0  3  0  0  1  0  0  2  1     8 12  0    12  2

 

Cardinals            AB  R  H BI   AVG    Nationals            AB  R  H BI   AVG

Carpenter,M       3b  5  0  0  0  .000    Span              cf  4  2  1  0  .250

Jay               cf  4  0  1  0  .250    Rendon            3b  5  2  2  1  .400

Holliday          lf  3  0  0  1  .000    Werth             rf  2  2  2  1 1.000

Adams,Ma          1b  5  1  1  0  .200    LaRoche           1b  5  1  2  1  .400

Peralta,Jh        ss  5  1  2  0  .400    Desmond           ss  5  1  3  1  .600

Molina,Y          c   4  1  0  0  .000    Harper            lf  4  0  0  0  .000

Grichuk           rf  5  2  3  0  .600    Ramos,W           c   1  0  0  1  .000

 Rosenthal        p   0  0  0  0  .000    Cabrera,A         2b  3  0  1  1  .333

 Freeman,S        p   0  0  0  0  .000     Soriano,R        p   0  0  0  0  .000

Wong              2b  4  1  2  2  .500     Storen           p   0  0  0  0  .000

Lynn              p   1  0  0  0  .000     Zimmerman,R      ph  1  0  1  1 1.000

 Gonzales         p   0  0  0  0  .000     Barrett          p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Descalso         ph  1  0  1  1 1.000    Zimmermann,J      p   1  0  0  0  .000

 Martinez,C       p   0  0  0  0  .000     Blevins          p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Lyons            p   0  0  0  0  .000     Schierholtz      ph  1  0  0  0  .000

 Taveras          ph  1  0  1  0 1.000     Stammen          p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Maness           p   0  0  0  0  .000     Thornton         p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Pierzynski       ph  1  1  1  2 1.000     Clippard         p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Neshek           p   0  0  0  0  .000     Espinosa         2b  2  0  0  0  .000

 Bourjos          cf  1  0  1  0 1.000                         34  8 12  7

                     40  7 13  6

 

Cardinals                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Lynn                             2.0  6  4  4  2  0  47  24 18.00

Gonzales                         2.0  0  0  0  3  1  35  17  0.00

Martinez,C                       1.1  2  1  1  2  4  40  21  6.75

Lyons                            0.2  0  0  0  0  0   4   2  0.00

Maness                           1.0  0  0  0  1  1  16   9  0.00

Neshek           H 1             1.0  0  0  0  0  1  10   9  0.00

Rosenthal        BS 1            1.0  2  2  2  3  0  24   9 18.00

Freeman,S        L 0-1           0.0  2  1  1  0  0   5   4 99.00

                                 9.0 12  8  8 11  7 181  95

 

Nationals                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Zimmermann,J                     4.0  7  2  2  0  3  56  41  4.50

Blevins                          1.0  0  0  0  1  2  16   9  0.00

Stammen          H 1             1.1  1  0  0  0  2  18  14  0.00

Thornton         H 1             0.2  0  0  0  0  1  10   6  0.00

Clippard         H 1             0.2  2  3  3  1  1  14   8 40.50

Soriano,R        BS 1            0.0  2  2  2  2  0  13   5 99.00

Storen                           1.1  0  0  0  1  1  17  11  0.00

Barrett          W 1-0           1.0  1  0  0  0  1  14   8  0.00

                                10.0 13  7  7  5 11 158 102

 

StL: Descalso batted for Gonzales in the 5th

     Taveras batted for Lyons in the 7th

     Pierzynski batted for Maness in the 8th

     Jay moved to rf in the 9th

     Bourjos inserted at cf in the 9th

Was: Schierholtz batted for Blevins in the 5th

     Espinosa inserted at 2b in the 8th

     Zimmerman,R batted for Storen in the 9th

 

E-Grichuk. 2B-Adams,Ma(1), Wong(1), Descalso(1), Span(1), Rendon(1),

Desmond 2(2). RBI-Holliday(1), Wong 2(2), Descalso(1), Pierzynski 2(2),

Rendon(1), Werth(1), LaRoche(1), Desmond(1), Ramos,W(1), Cabrera,A(1),

Zimmerman,R(1). SB-Span(1). CS-Bourjos. K-Carpenter,M 2, Jay 2, Holliday 2,

Peralta,Jh, Grichuk 2, Wong, Lynn, Span, Rendon, Desmond, Harper, Cabrera,A,

Zimmermann,J, Schierholtz. BB-Carpenter,M, Jay, Holliday 2, Molina,Y, Span 2,

Rendon, Werth 3, Harper, Ramos,W 4. SH-Zimmermann,J. SF-Cabrera,A. HBP-Wong.

HB-Zimmermann,J. WP-Soriano,R. BALK-Martinez,C.

GWRBI: Rendon

Temperature: 60, Sky: clear, Wind: out to left at 8 MPH.

Attendance: 41,495

Game Time: 3:46

 

 

 

Game 2:  Shelby Miller vs. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals Park

 

CARDS USE LONGBALL TO EVEN SERIES

Redbirds Pen Shuts Down Nats’ Bats

 

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 (AP) – The St. Louis Cardinals used home runs off the bats of Jhonny Peralta and Matt Carpenter to even their Divisional Series with Washington, defeating the Nationals 6-3 at Nationals Park.  The Cardinals shook off the disappointment of blowing a ninth inning lead in Game 1, and the club’s bullpen was at the forefront of the effort, holding Washington scoreless over the final four innings of the contest.

 

After three scoreless frames, St. Louis got to Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg in the top of the fourth.  Matt Carpenter led off with a base hit and Jon Jay drew a four-pitch walk.  Strasburg retired Matt Holliday on strikes and Matt Adams on a line drive to right, but Peralta cracked a 1-0 offering into the seats down the left field line for a three-run homer and a 3-0 Cardinals lead.

 

The Nationals got a run back in the bottom of the inning off St. Louis starter Shelby Miller, but it could have been more.  Jayson Werth led off with a single and Adam LaRoche walked, putting runners on first and second.  Miller induced Ian Desmond to roll into a double play, leaving Werth on third with two outs.  Bryce Harper kept the inning from being a total loss when he lined a base hit to left-center, scoring Werth to make the score 3-1, but Wilson Ramos lined to center to end the inning.

 

In the fifth, the Cardinals added to their lead when Randal Grichuk led off with a base hit and, after Strasburg retired Kolten Wong and Miller, Carpenter drilled a fastball over the center field wall to put St. Louis on top 5-1.

 

The Nationals were hampered by the fact that they used their entire bullpen in Game 1, so they stuck with Strasburg longer than they otherwise might have done.

 

In the bottom of the fifth, Denard Span singled with two outs and Anthony Rendon picked out a first pitch-fastball from Miller and roped it into the bleachers in left-center.  The two-run homer pulled Washington back to within 5-3.  But it was as close as the Nationals would get.

 

Randy Choate came on for the Cardinals in the bottom of the sixth, retired LaRoche on a fly to center, but then yielded a double to Desmond.  After setting down Harper on an infield pop, Choate was replaced by Seth Maness, who ended the inning by inducing Ramos to ground to third.

 

St. Louis picked up an insurance run in the top of the seventh off Matt Thornton.  Wong reached on an infield single and stole second.  Peter Bourjos, brought into the game as part of a double-switch when Manees entered, sacrificed Wong to third, and Matt Carpenter lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Wong to make it 6-3.

 

Maness retired the Nationals in order in the bottom of the seventh and Pat Neshek pitched around a leadoff walk to Rendon, fanning Werth, getting LaRoche on a fly ball and striking out Desmond.

 

Trevor Rosenthal entered the game in a save situation in the ninth, with the memory of the blown save the previous day fresh in his mind.  But he retired Harper and pinch hitter Danny Espinosa on ground balls before issuing a four-pitch walk to Asdrubel Cabrera.  Unfazed, he retired Jose Lobaton on the third ground out of the inning to preserve the victory.

 

 

10/4/2014, StL14-Was14, Nationals Park

 

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Cardinals         0  0  0  3  2  0  1  0  0     6  7  0     4  1

2014 Nationals         0  0  0  1  2  0  0  0  0     3  7  0     6  0

 

Cardinals            AB  R  H BI   AVG    Nationals            AB  R  H BI   AVG

Carpenter,M       3b  4  2  2  3  .222    Span              cf  4  1  2  0  .375

Jay               cf  3  1  0  0  .143    Rendon            3b  3  1  2  2  .500

Holliday          lf  4  0  0  0  .000    Werth             rf  4  1  1  0  .500

Adams,Ma          1b  3  0  0  0  .125    LaRoche           1b  3  0  0  0  .250

 Neshek           p   0  0  0  0  .000    Desmond           ss  4  0  1  0  .444

 Rosenthal        p   0  0  0  0  .000    Harper            lf  4  0  1  1  .125

Peralta,Jh        ss  3  1  1  3  .375    Ramos,W           c   3  0  0  0  .000

Molina,Y          c   4  0  0  0  .000     Storen           p   0  0  0  0  .000

Grichuk           rf  3  1  1  0  .500     Blevins          p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Maness           p   0  0  0  0  .000     Espinosa         ph  1  0  0  0  .000

 Descalso         1b  1  0  0  0  .500    Cabrera,A         2b  3  0  0  0  .167

Wong              2b  4  1  2  0  .500    Strasburg         p   2  0  0  0  .000

Miller,S          p   2  0  0  0  .000     Barrett          p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Choate           p   0  0  0  0  .000     Thornton         p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Bourjos          cf  2  0  1  0  .667     Lobaton          c   2  0  0  0  .000

                     33  6  7  6                               33  3  7  3

 

Cardinals                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Miller,S         W 1-0           5.0  6  3  3  1  2  80  52  5.40

Choate           H 1             0.2  1  0  0  0  0  11   9  0.00

Maness           H 1             1.1  0  0  0  0  1  15   9  0.00

Neshek           H 2             1.0  0  0  0  1  2  16  10  0.00

Rosenthal        S 1             1.0  0  0  0  1  0  14   6  9.00

                                 9.0  7  3  3  3  5 136  86

 

Nationals                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Strasburg        L 0-1           5.1  4  5  5  3  7  94  56  8.44

Barrett                          0.2  0  0  0  0  2  10   6  0.00

Thornton                         0.2  2  1  1  0  0  11   6  6.75

Storen                           1.1  0  0  0  0  3  21  14  0.00

Blevins                          1.0  1  0  0  0  1  19  13  0.00

                                 9.0  7  6  6  3 13 155  95

 

StL: Jay moved to rf in the 6th

     Bourjos inserted at cf in the 6th

     Descalso inserted at 1b in the 8th

Was: Lobaton inserted at c in the 7th

     Espinosa batted for Blevins in the 9th

 

2B-Rendon(2), Desmond(3). HR-Carpenter,M(1), Peralta,Jh(1), Rendon(1).

RBI-Carpenter,M 3(3), Peralta,Jh 3(3), Rendon 2(3), Harper(1). SB-Wong(1),

Bourjos(1). K-Jay, Holliday 3, Adams,Ma 2, Peralta,Jh, Molina,Y 2, Grichuk 2,

Miller,S, Descalso, Werth 3, Desmond, Lobaton. BB-Jay, Adams,Ma, Peralta,Jh,

Rendon, LaRoche, Cabrera,A. SF-Carpenter,M.

GWRBI: Peralta,Jh

Matt Adams was ejected from this game

Temperature: 66, Sky: cloudy, Wind: right to left at 8 MPH.

Attendance: 41,240

Game Time: 3:02

 

 

 

Game 3:  Tanner Roark vs. Adam Wainwright, Busch Stadium

 

CARDS RIDE WAINWRIGHT’S CG TO EASY GAME 3 WIN

2 More HRs Pace Redbirds Attack

 

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 6 (AP) – Adam Wainwright tossed a complete game three-hitter, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-1 victory over the Washington Nationals in Game 3 of the NLDS at Busch Stadium.  Matt Adams and Jhonny Peralta belted a home run apiece to lead the St. Louis offense.  The Nationals, who finished the regular season with the best record in all of baseball this year, now face the prospect of being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, as the Cardinals lead the best-of-five series two games to one.

 

The Cardinals jumped out to a lead they would never surrender in the very first inning when Matt Carpenter led off the bottom of the first with a base hit off Washington starter Tanner Roark and, two batters later, Adams homered to right, giving St. Louis a 2-0 advantage.

 

Roark settled in and held the Cardinals to no runs and just two more hits through five, but things suddenly fell apart in the sixth.  After retiring Jon Jay and Matt Holliday on consecutive ground balls to short to open the inning, Adams rolled a single into left field and Peralta then crushed a two-run home run into the left-center field bleachers to make it 4-0.

 

In the bottom of the seventh, with Tyler Clippard on the hill for the Nationals, Randal Grichuk reached on an infield single.  Kolten Wong fanned and Wainwright sacrificed Grichuk to second.  Matt Thornton came on to face Carpenter, but the Cardinals third baseman doubled down the left field line, scoring Grichuk to put St. Louis ahead 5-0.

 

In the eighth, the Cardinals put the game away against Rafael Sorinao.  Adams singled with one out—his third hit of the game—and Peralta doubled him to third.  Soriano then unleashed a wild pitch, scoring Adams and sending Peralta to third.  Yadier Molina followed with a base hit to center, plating Peralta and making the score 7-0.

 

Wainwright was in full control throughout for the Cardinals, though his control wavered on occasion.  He walked three batters in the first four innings, but no one ever advanced past first base.  He took a one-hit—he surrendered a second inning single to Roark, of all people—shutout into the ninth inning, but Anthony Rendon homered leading off.  Jayson Werth flied to left and Adam LaRoche singled.  But Ian Desmond grounded out and Bryce Harper flied to right to end the game.

 

The complete game by Wainwright is the first of the postseason thus far.

 

 

10/6/2014, Was14-StL14, Busch Stadium

 

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Nationals         0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1     1  3  1     5  1

2014 Cardinals         2  0  0  0  0  2  1  2  x     7 11  0     3  1

 

Nationals            AB  R  H BI   AVG    Cardinals            AB  R  H BI   AVG

Span              cf  4  0  0  0  .250    Carpenter,M       3b  4  1  3  1  .385

Rendon            3b  4  1  1  1  .417    Jay               cf  4  0  0  0  .091

Werth             rf  3  0  0  0  .333    Holliday          lf  4  0  0  0  .000

LaRoche           1b  3  0  1  0  .273     Bourjos          cf  0  0  0  0  .667

Desmond           ss  4  0  0  0  .308    Adams,Ma          1b  4  3  3  2  .333

Harper            lf  2  0  0  0  .100    Peralta,Jh        ss  4  2  3  2  .500

Ramos,W           c   3  0  0  0  .000    Molina,Y          c   4  0  1  1  .083

Cabrera,A         2b  3  0  0  0  .111    Grichuk           rf  4  1  1  0  .417

Roark             p   2  0  1  0  .500    Wong              2b  3  0  0  0  .364

 Clippard         p   0  0  0  0  .000    Wainwright        p   2  0  0  0  .000

 Thornton         p   0  0  0  0  .000                         33  7 11  6

 Schierholtz      ph  1  0  0  0  .000

 Soriano,R        p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Stammen          p   0  0  0  0  .000

                     29  1  3  1

 

Nationals                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Roark            L 0-1           6.0  6  4  4  0  2  71  54  6.00

Clippard                         0.2  1  1  1  0  1   8   6 27.00

Thornton                         0.1  1  0  0  0  0   7   4  5.40

Soriano,R                        0.1  3  2  2  0  0  14   8 99.99

Stammen                          0.2  0  0  0  0  0   2   2  0.00

                                 8.0 11  7  7  0  3 102  74

 

Cardinals                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Wainwright       W 1-0           9.0  3  1  1  4  6 113  68  1.00

                                 9.0  3  1  1  4  6 113  68

 

Was: Schierholtz batted for Thornton in the 8th

StL: Jay moved to lf in the 9th

     Bourjos inserted at cf in the 9th

 

E-Harper. 2B-Carpenter,M(1), Peralta,Jh(1). HR-Rendon(2), Adams,Ma(1),

Peralta,Jh(2). RBI-Rendon(4), Carpenter,M(4), Adams,Ma 2(2), Peralta,Jh 2(5),

Molina,Y(1). K-Rendon, LaRoche, Desmond 2, Harper, Cabrera,A, Molina,Y, Wong,

Wainwright. BB-Werth, LaRoche, Harper 2. SH-Wainwright. WP-Soriano,R.

GWRBI: Adams,Ma

Temperature: 56, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: right to left at 22 MPH.

Attendance: 44,016

Game Time: 2:17

 

 

Game 4:  Gio Gonzalez vs. John Lackey, Busch Stadium

 

NATS RIDE 19-HIT ATTACK, FORCE GAME 5

Rendon Raps Out 5 Hits, 3rd HR of NLDS

 

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 7 (AP) – The Washington Nationals pounded out 10 runs on 19 hits and forced a deciding Game 5 of their series with the St. Louis Cardinals with a 10-6 win at Busch Stadium.  Anthony Rendon continued his torrid hitting, going 4-for-5, including a home run—his third in four games—and driving in five runs.  Five other Nationals also managed multi-hit games.  But the Nationals have been hampered by an absence of the long ball.  Rendon is the only Washington batter to hit a home run thus far in the series.

 

A high-scoring tone was set immediately in Game 4.  Denard Span led off by drawing a walk from Cardinals starter John Lackey, and promptly stole second.  Rendon followed with a single to left, scoring Span to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead.  Jayson Werth followed with another base hit to left, putting runners on first and second, and Adam LaRoche laced a single to right-center, scoring Rendon and advancing Werth to third.  Ian Desmond fanned for the first out, but Bryce Harper lashed Washington’s fourth hit of the frame, a single to left, scoring Werth and advancing LaRoche to second.  Wilson Ramos then grounded into a double play to end the inning, but the Nationals now led 3-0.

 

St. Louis wasted no time narrowing the margin.  Matt Carpenter led off the bottom of the inning by lining a double to right-center and, after Randal Grichuk fanned, Matt Holliday crushed a Gio Gonzalez change-up off the Big Mac sign—the facacde of the third level—in left field for a monstrous home run, cutting the Washington lead to 3-2.

 

Undaunted, the Nationals reclaimed their three-run advantage in the second, driving Lackey from the game in the process.  Span doubled to right-center with two outs and Rendon roped a 2-2 pitch into the left field bleachers to make the score 5-2.  When Werth followed Rendon’s homer with a double off the wall in left-center, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny had seen enough, replacing Lackey with Tyler Lyons, who fanned LaRoche to end the inning.

 

Again, the Cardinals cut into the lead.  In the bottom of the second, Jon Jay drew a leadoff walk from Gonzalez, advanced to second and third on successive groundouts, and then scored on Carpenter’s base hit to right.

 

After a quiet pair of innings, Washington blew the game open in the fifth against Carlos Martinez.  With one out, Desmond singled to right and advanced to second on Harper’s base hit.  Ramos flied to left for the second out, but Asdrubel Cabrera doubled to right-center, scoring Desmond to make it 6-3, with Harper advancing to third.  Gonzalez then dropped a base hit into right field, scoring both runners.  With the score now 8-3, Martinez’s day was done.  Sam Freeman replaced him, but the hit parade continued.  Span doubled Harper to third and Rendon singled to left, scoring two more runs, giving the Nationals a 10-3 advantage.  Werth finally popped out to end the inning.

 

The game was a seeming blowout, but the Cardinals didn’t quit.  They got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when pinch hitter Peter Kozma led off with a double and scored two batters later on Matt Holliday’s base hit.  In the sixth, they made it 10-5 and threatened to make it closer.  Matt Adams led off with a triple against Doug Pfister and scored on a Yedier Molina groundout.  After Jay flied out, Kolten Wong reached on an infield single and pitch hitter Daniel Delcalso singled Wong to second.  But Pfister retired Carpenter on a fly to right to end the inning.

 

Still chipping away, St. Louis made it 10-6 in the seventh.  Grichuk tripled over the head of Span to open the frame and scored on Holliday’s groundout.  After Jhonny Peralta was retired, Adams and Molina slapped back-to-back singles, only to be left stranded when Jay grounded out to end the inning.

 

The Cardinals threatened again in the eighth, with Tyler Clippard on the mound.  With one out, Oscar Taveras reached on LaRoche’s error and Carpenter drew a walk to put runners on first and second.  But Clippard fanned Grichuk and retired Holliday on a line drive to left.

 

Seemingly exhausted, St. Louis succumbed easily to Craig Stammen in the bottom of the ninth, as he retired the side in order.

 

The series will now return to Nationals Park in Washington for a winter-take-all Game 5.

 

 

10/7/2014, Was14-StL14, Busch Stadium

 

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Nationals         3  2  0  0  5  0  0  0  0    10 19  1     9  0

2014 Cardinals         2  1  0  0  1  1  1  0  0     6 12  0     9  1

 

Nationals            AB  R  H BI   AVG    Cardinals            AB  R  H BI   AVG

Span              cf  5  3  3  0  .353    Carpenter,M       3b  4  1  2  1  .412

Rendon            3b  5  2  4  5  .529    Grichuk           rf  5  1  1  0  .353

Werth             rf  5  1  3  0  .429    Holliday          lf  5  1  2  4  .125

LaRoche           1b  5  0  1  1  .250    Peralta,Jh        ss  5  0  0  0  .353

Desmond           ss  5  1  2  0  .333    Adams,Ma          1b  5  1  3  0  .412

Harper            lf  4  1  2  1  .214    Molina,Y          c   5  0  1  1  .118

 Fister           p   0  0  0  0  .000    Jay               cf  3  1  0  0  .071

 Blevins          p   0  0  0  0  .000    Wong              2b  4  0  1  0  .333

 Schierholtz      ph  1  0  0  0  .000    Lackey            p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Clippard         p   0  0  0  0  .000     Lyons            p   1  0  0  0  .000

 Stammen          p   0  0  0  0  .000     Martinez,C       p   0  0  0  0  .000

Ramos,W           c   5  0  0  0  .000     Freeman,S        p   0  0  0  0  .000

Cabrera,A         2b  5  1  1  1  .143     Kozma            ph  1  1  1  0 1.000

Gonzalez,G        p   3  1  1  2  .333     Gonzales         p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Frandsen         lf  2  0  2  0 1.000     Descalso         ph  1  0  1  0  .667

                     45 10 19 10           Maness           p   0  0  0  0  .000

                                           Neshek           p   0  0  0  0  .000

                                           Taveras          ph  1  0  0  0  .500

                                           Choate           p   0  0  0  0  .000

                                                               40  6 12  6

 

Nationals                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Gonzalez,G       W 1-0           5.0  6  4  4  1  5  76  47  7.20

Fister           H 1             1.2  6  2  2  0  0  27  18 10.80

Blevins          H 1             0.1  0  0  0  0  0   4   2  0.00

Clippard                         1.0  0  0  0  1  1  21  14 15.43

Stammen                          1.0  0  0  0  0  1  13  11  0.00

                                 9.0 12  6  6  2  7 141  92

 

Cardinals                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Lackey           L 0-1           1.2  7  5  5  1  2  43  31 27.00

Lyons                            2.0  1  0  0  0  3  31  19  0.00

Martinez,C                       1.0  5  4  4  0  2  33  22 19.29

Freeman,S                        0.1  2  1  1  0  0  11   7 54.00

Gonzales                         1.0  0  0  0  0  3  22  14  0.00

Maness                           1.0  1  0  0  0  0  15  12  0.00

Neshek                           1.0  2  0  0  0  1  10   9  0.00

Choate                           1.0  1  0  0  0  0  18  12  0.00

                                 9.0 19 10 10  1 11 183 126

 

Was: Frandsen inserted at lf in the 6th

     Schierholtz batted for Blevins in the 8th

StL: Kozma batted for Freeman,S in the 5th

     Descalso batted for Gonzales in the 6th

     Taveras batted for Neshek in the 8th

 

E-LaRoche. 2B-Span 2(3), Werth(1), Cabrera,A(1), Carpenter,M(2), Kozma(1).

3B-Grichuk(1), Adams,Ma(1). HR-Rendon(3), Holliday(1). RBI-Rendon 5(9),

LaRoche(2), Harper(2), Cabrera,A(2), Gonzalez,G 2(2), Carpenter,M(5),

Holliday 4(5), Molina,Y(2). SB-Span(2). K-Werth, LaRoche 4, Desmond 2,

Harper 2, Cabrera,A, Gonzalez,G, Grichuk 2, Holliday, Peralta,Jh, Adams,Ma 2,

Jay. BB-Span, Carpenter,M, Jay.

GWRBI: Rendon

Temperature: 61, Sky: clear, Wind: out to left at 7 MPH.

Attendance: 44,107

Game Time: 3:19

 

 

Game 5:  Lance Lynn vs. Jordan Zimmerman, Nationals Park

 

NATS SCORE EARLY, OFTEN, CRUISE PAST CARDS AND INTO NLCS

Redbirds Staff Implodes, Walks 9 in Game 5 Defeat

 

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 (AP) – They took awhile to get going, but the top-scoring team in the National League during the regular season woke up in the nick of time.  The Washington Nationals banged out 11 hits and drew nine walks, easily defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the NLDS 8-2 at Nationals Park.  Washington advances to the National League Championship Series and will host the Los Angeles Dodgers for Games 1 and 2.

 

The Nationals jumped on St. Louis starter Lance Lynn early.  Denard Span led off the bottom of the first with a base hit and, after Anthony Rendon struck out, Jayson Werth drew the first of nine free passes from Cardinals pitchers, putting runners on first and second.  Adam LaRoche’s roller to third advanced the runners to second and third, and Ian Desmond came through with a base hit to center, scoring both runners to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead.

 

The Cardinals sliced the advantage to one in the top of the fourth.  Matt Adams singled with one out off Washington starter Jordan Zimmerman, and Jhonny Peralta’s single to right put runners on the corners.  Yadier Molina then followed with a base hit of his own to right, scoring Adams and advancing Peralta to third.  St. Louis seemed poised to at least tie the game, but Randal Grichuk’s fly to left was much too shallow to do any damage and Zimmerman fanned Kolten Wong to end the inning.

 

The Nationals then took firm command of the game in the bottom of the inning.  Wilson Ramos led off with a single and after Asdrubel Cabrera flied to center, Zimmerman’s sacrifice attempt resulted in a fielder’s choice, with Ramos forced at second.  Just when it seemed as though the Nationals rally had fizzled, it came alive, courtesy of control problems for Lynn.  The right-hander walked Span and Rendon to load the bases.  Cardinals manager Mike Matheny lifted his starter and inserted Carlos Martinez, but it was a catastrophe.  Martinez couldn’t find the plate.  He walked Werth, forcing in the third Washington run of the game, then issued a free pass to LaRoche, forcing in another run.  After he walked Desmond, making it 5-1 when Rendon crossed the plate, the Nationals had drawn five consecutive bases on balls.  It was only the third time all year, regular season or postseason, that a team had drawn five straight walks.  Matheny replaced Martinez with Randy Choate and the lefty struck out Bryce Harper to end the inning, but the damage had been done.

 

If there was any question about the outcome of the game, the Nationals answered it when they erupted for three more runs in the bottom of the sixth.  Span led off with a double and an infield single off the bat of Rendon put runners on first and third.  With the infield in, Werth bounced to second, but Wong’s throw to the plate was too late to nab Span, who scored the team’s sixth run on the fielder’s choice, which left men on first and second.  LaRoche dropped a single into center, scoring Rendon.  Desmond fanned for the first out, but Harper walked, filling the bases.  Ramos’ soft grounder to first scored Werth, to make it 8-1.

 

Zimmerman pitched through the fifth, allowing just the single run to the Cardinals, and Matt Thornton and Craig Stammen combined to keep St. Louis off the board in the sixth.  Aaron Barrett retired the side in order in the top of the seventh.

 

The Cardinals finally pushed another run across the plate, against Drew Storen in the eighth.  Matt Carpenter, who had a tremendous series and went 4-for-4 in Game 5, lined a leadoff double, and one out later, Matt Holliday singled to right, scoring Carpetner to make it 8-2.  But Matt Adams struck out and, after Peralta drew a free pass, Storen fanned Molina to end the inning.

 

Closer Rafael Soriano, who had been blasted in his last appearance, was given a chance to boost his confidence in the ninth and he did so, retiring Grichuk, Wong and Daniel Delcalso in order to end the game.

 

The Washington quartet of Denard Span, Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond, who had wreaked havoc on NL staff throughout the regular season, reprised their roles against the Cardinals in the NLDS.  The four combined to go 35-for-81 (.432) with nine doubles and 14 bases on balls.  The group combined to score 25 runs.

 

 

10/9/2014, StL14-Was14, Nationals Park

 

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Cardinals         0  0  0  1  0  0  0  1  0     2 11  1     7  1

2014 Nationals         2  0  0  3  0  3  0  0  x     8 11  0    13  2

 

Cardinals            AB  R  H BI   AVG    Nationals            AB  R  H BI   AVG

Carpenter,M       3b  4  1  4  0  .524    Span              cf  4  3  3  0  .429

Jay               cf  4  0  0  0  .056    Rendon            3b  4  2  1  0  .476

Holliday          lf  4  0  2  1  .200    Werth             rf  3  2  2  2  .471

Adams,Ma          1b  4  1  1  0  .381    LaRoche           1b  3  0  1  2  .263

Peralta,Jh        ss  3  0  2  0  .400    Desmond           ss  4  0  2  3  .364

Molina,Y          c   4  0  2  1  .190    Harper            lf  4  0  0  0  .167

Grichuk           rf  4  0  0  0  .286    Ramos,W           c   5  0  2  1  .118

Wong              2b  4  0  0  0  .263    Cabrera,A         2b  4  0  0  0  .111

Lynn              p   1  0  0  0  .000    Zimmermann,J      p   2  1  0  0  .000

 Martinez,C       p   0  0  0  0  .000     Schierholtz      ph  1  0  0  0  .000

 Choate           p   0  0  0  0  .000     Thornton         p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Taveras          ph  1  0  0  0  .333     Stammen          p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Maness           p   0  0  0  0  .000     Barrett          p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Freeman,S        p   0  0  0  0  .000     Zimmerman,R      ph  1  0  0  0  .500

 Neshek           p   0  0  0  0  .000     Storen           p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Pierzynski       ph  1  0  0  0  .500     Espinosa         ph  1  0  0  0  .000

 Miller,S         p   0  0  0  0  .000     Soriano,R        p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Descalso         ph  1  0  0  0  .500                         36  8 11  8

                     35  2 11  2

 

Cardinals                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Lynn             L 0-1           3.2  5  5  5  4  3  81  45 14.29

Martinez,C                       0.0  0  0  0  3  0  19   7 19.29

Choate                           0.1  0  0  0  0  0   6   4  0.00

Maness                           1.0  2  3  3  0  0  16  13  6.23

Freeman,S                        0.1  1  0  0  1  1  16   8 27.00

Neshek                           0.2  0  0  0  0  0   6   5  0.00

Miller,S                         2.0  3  0  0  1  2  38  23  3.86

                                 8.0 11  8  8  9  6 182 105

 

Nationals                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Zimmermann,J     W 1-0           5.0  8  1  1  0  5  67  47  3.00

Thornton         H 2             0.1  1  0  0  0  1   9   5  4.50

Stammen          H 2             0.2  0  0  0  0  0   2   2  0.00

Barrett          H 1             1.0  0  0  0  0  1  12   7  0.00

Storen                           1.0  2  1  1  1  2  21  14  2.45

Soriano,R                        1.0  0  0  0  0  0  14   8 27.00

                                 9.0 11  2  2  1  9 125  83

 

StL: Taveras batted for Choate in the 5th

     Pierzynski batted for Neshek in the 7th

     Descalso batted for Miller,S in the 9th

Was: Schierholtz batted for Zimmermann,J in the 5th

     Zimmerman,R batted for Barrett in the 7th

     Espinosa batted for Storen in the 8th

 

E-Wong. 2B-Carpenter,M(3), Span(4), Werth(2). RBI-Holliday(6), Molina,Y(3),

Werth 2(3), LaRoche 2(4), Desmond 3(4), Ramos,W(2). K-Jay, Holliday,

Adams,Ma 2, Molina,Y, Grichuk 2, Wong, Lynn, Rendon, Desmond, Harper 2,

Zimmerman,R, Espinosa. BB-Peralta,Jh, Span, Rendon, Werth 2, LaRoche 2,

Desmond, Harper, Cabrera,A.

GWRBI: Desmond

Temperature: 55, Field: wet, Sky: clear, Wind: in from left at 14 MPH.

Attendance: 41,339

Game Time: 3:25