Winning Game 1 on the road Sunday was the best-case scenario for the playoff-infant Nationals. The 3-2 comeback victory set the tone in a short series.
But these are the world champion St. Louis Cardinals, and they have been in this position before. Last season, the Cardinals lost Game 1 in both the National League Division Series and the Championship Series.
A look back at how the Cardinals' first two series last season ended gives you an idea of the comeback potential of this team....
After winning Game 1 in St. Louis 3-2, the Nationals now have three of the next four games in the series at home. Of course, Game 4 and Game 5 are if necessary.
Trailing 2-1 after five innings, the Nationals found a way to get to a bullpen that had allowed more than one earned run just once in the last 14 postseason games.
Well, that streak reached 14 of 15, but they still allowed two runs.
And the Nationals' bench, another one of the team's many strengths, came through with the game's...
ST. LOUIS - Just to recap today's ballgame for all those who were stuck in a cave somewhere all afternoon: National League Cy Young Award candidate Gio Gonzalez walked seven hitters, the Nationals struck out 13 times, left the bases loaded twice and made two errors in the final three innings.
Oh, yeah, and they won 3-2.
"I don't really know how we won that game, to be honest," reliever Craig Stammen said with a smile creeping onto his face. "But we pulled it out somehow. That's kind of...
Every postseason story has great plays that become the trademark for a team. A huge double play. A timely run-scoring hit. A game-saving catch.
The Nationals had all three Sunday in their first postseason win, a 3-2 stunner at St. Louis in the National League Division Series opener.
In the bottom of the sixth, with the Cardinals leading 2-1 and David Freese at first base, second baseman Daniel Descalso launched a long fly ball to deep right field that had a very good chance of leaving Busch...
ST. LOUIS - Where to begin?
The Nationals took us all on a ride this afternoon, battling their way to a 3-2 win over the Cardinals in Game 1 of the best-of-five National League Division Series, despite seven walks from starter Gio Gonzalez, 10 runners left on base, two errors and 13 strikeouts as an offense.
This game was bizarre as could be. It all started with Gonzalez, who somehow allowed only one hit despite completely lacking control of his fastball. The Nationals ace had perhaps his...
ST. LOUIS - Remember all the talk about the vast difference in playoff experience in this National League Division Series? How the Cardinals had an edge over the Nationals because they'd been through all this before? How the Nats might be affected in big spots because of the added pressure that comes with late-inning, playoff situations?
"It obviously didn't affect us," reliever Ryan Mattheus said after today's 3-2 Nationals win.
Nope, it sure didn't. That isn't to say that experience...
ST. LOUIS - In Gio Gonzalez's first two innings, he threw 55 pitches, only 27 for strikes. He walked five and allowed two runs.
Over his next two innings of work, Gonzalez threw 28 pitches, 19 for strikes.
He was able to settle down, get ahead in the count and pound the strike zone. Gonzalez faced the minimum over his third and fourth innings of work, allowing only a David Freese groundball single through the hole, which was quickly erased by a nicely turned 6-4-3 double play.
Gonzalez is...
ST. LOUIS - These inexperienced Nationals seem to be faring just fine, huh?
A half-inning after Ryan Mattheus gets out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam with just two pitches in his first career postseason appearance, pinch-hitter Tyler Moore delivers a two-out, two-run, go-ahead single in his first ever playoff at-bat.
Mercy.
Moore got to a 2-2 count against Cardinals lefty Marc Rzepczynski, got a fastball down in the zone and dropped it into right field.
Michael Morse and Ian Desmond came...
ST. LOUIS - Remember this note for trivia question purposes: Kurt Suzuki drove in the first run in Nationals playoff history.
General manager Mike Rizzo's trade for Suzuki after the non-waiver trade deadline continues to pay major dividends. The catcher came through with a big two-out RBI single to left field in the second inning, bringing in Adam LaRoche to give the Nats a 1-0 lead.
LaRoche, far from the swiftest guy on the team (and that's putting it nicely), had gone first to third on...
ST. LOUIS - During his pregame session with reporters late this morning, Davey Johnson was asked if he said anything to his team this afternoon leading up to the first playoff game in Nationals team history.
"If I had a meeting, they'd think I'm panicking or something," Johnson responded.
Instead of having an organized team meeting, Johnson went around and said a few words to players individually. Part of that message was not to force anything and to treat this just like any other...
Maybe you can't watch the first playoff game in Nationals history from your favorite spot in Nationals Park. But you can still watch the historic game Sunday afternoon, and not be far away from the home team's home park.
Join MASN on Sunday for its official viewing party, which will be held at Fairgrounds, right across from Nationals Park's center field gates. The fun begins at 3 p.m., just a few minutes before first pitch, at 25 M St., SE (at Half Street)
Fairgrounds will be the perfect...
ST. LOUIS - The Nationals have posted their lineup for Game 1 of the best-of-five National League Division Series against the Cardinals. It looks pretty familiar.
RF Jayson Werth
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
LF Michael Morse
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
C Kurt Suzuki
P Gio Gonzalez
Here is the Cardinals lineup that will face Gonzalez:
CF Jon Jay
RF Carlos Beltran
LF Matt Holliday
1B Allen Craig
C Yadier Molina
3B David Freese
2B Daniel Descalso
SS Pete Kozma
P Adam...
ST. LOUIS - I'm going to do my very best not to discuss Stephen Strasburg during the Nationals' playoff run.
The story, as Strasburg would tell you, is not about him right now. He's been shut down, won't pitch in the postseason and will spend his time during games watching from the bench.
But as Strasburg looks out to the mound at Busch Stadium later this afternoon, he'll see a guy who has gone through a lot of the same stuff that he has.
Last season, while recovering from Tommy John...
The Washington Nationals today announced their 25-man roster for the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Manager Davey Johnson's roster includes 12 pitchers, two catchers, six infielders and five outfielders:
Pitchers (12 - 5 LHP/7 RHP)
LHP Sean Burnett
LHP Ross Detwiler
LHP Gio Gonzalez
LHP Michael Gonzalez
LHP Tom Gorzelanny
RHP Tyler Clippard
RHP...
ST. LOUIS - This much seems clear after yesterday - those who have playoff experience seem to believe it'll be a benefit during their current postseason run.
Those who don't, well, as you might expect, they don't feel it'll hurt them much.
The contrast between the Nationals and Cardinals when it comes to postseason experience is pretty dramatic.
Of the 25 guys on the Cardinals' roster for the National League Division Series, a whopping 22 have played in a playoff game, and 18 of those...
ST. LOUIS - As Gio Gonzalez took a seat in the press conference room at Busch Stadium late this afternoon, he rubbed his upper arms and leaned down towards the microphone with a smile on his face.
"I'm trembling right now," he said. "It's not my nerves, it's just the cold."
Gonzalez will get the ball for the Nationals tomorrow afternoon for Game 1 of the National League Division Series. It'll be the first postseason start of his career, so you could forgive him if he was feeling a bit...
ST. LOUIS - The Nationals watched last night's National League wild card game, knowing they'd be facing the winner Sunday. Like the rest of us, they saw the controversial infield fly call, Atlanta fans covering the turf with beer cans, the do-over strike three that resulted in David Ross' home run and the Braves' 23-game winning streak in games started by Kris Medlen come to an end.
"Obviously, it was just a boring game where nothing crazy happened," Ryan Zimmerman...
ST. LOUIS - Before stepping foot on the field at Busch Stadium for their full team workout, the Nationals finalized their roster for the National League Division Series.
The roster hasn't been filed with the league office, so it's not official as of yet. Manager Davey Johnson commented - perhaps half-seriously and half-jokingly - that since the Nats hadn't seen the Cardinals' roster yet, they weren't going to announce theirs.
Johnson has, however, informed all of his players about their...
The postseason can sometimes be the coming-out party for a player who had a pretty good regular season but then turns it up a notch in the playoffs.
Sometimes it is a player who wasn't even with the postseason team when the season began.
Take the amazing run of right fielder Cody Ross, who arrived in San Francisco on August 10, 2010 and played just 33 games with the Giants, hitting .288 with three home runs.
Then, he turned in one of the most amazing postseason performances in quite some...
Sunday should be a pretty special day in D.C./Maryland sports.
The Redskins play the Falcons at 1 p.m. The Ravens play the Chiefs, also at 1 p.m. The Nationals start their NLDS series with the Cardinals at 3:07 p.m. The Orioles open their ALDS set with the Yankees at 6:07 p.m.
That's a lot happening in one 12-hour span. And for the first time in a long time, the football teams will be taking a backseat to meaningful October baseball.
Just eight days after the Nationals flew into St. Louis...