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CHICAGO - Max Scherzer made his way out to the right field grass at Wrigley Field, set up shop 60 feet away from bullpen catcher Octavio Martinez and proceeded to throw a baseball off flat ground for the next 10-15 minutes, just like he would any other day before he starts a game.
When he was done, Scherzer gave Martinez a high five, then started skipping around the outfield. OK, that was actually part of his regular exercise routine, but the image nonetheless conveyed what everyone here with...
The Nats made a dramatic comeback in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, thanks to home runs by Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman, to beat the Cubs 6-3.
The series is even at game apiece.
But to really get the offense going in these playoffs, the Nationals have to figure out what is going on with shortstop Trea Turner, who has yet to register a base hit in the first two games.
He is 0-for-8 at the plate with four strikeouts. That is correct, the Nats' leadoff man, who stole 46 bases...
So about last night ...
That was an incredible game of baseball between the Nationals and Cubs. From the home runs to the relief pitching to the dramatic comeback, Game 2 of this National League Division Series provided the best of what postseason baseball has to offer.
Anthony Rendon started the scoring with a solo home run in the first. Gio Gonzalez gave manager Dusty Baker a solid start. Matt Albers, Sammy SolÃs, Ryan Madson, Oliver Pérez and Sean Doolittle combined for four shutout...
He had watched this lineup score runs in bunches all season long, overcoming injuries and ever-changing configurations to produce as well as just about any lineup in the majors. But 16 innings into the National League Division Series, Dusty Baker's Nationals had done nothing at the plate against the Cubs.
Nothing. Nada. Squat. Bupkis.
Yes, Anthony Rendon had homered in the bottom of the first in Game 2, but that opposite-field shot looked like a lazy fly ball off the bat and somehow got caught...
It takes the offense, pitching and defense to win a playoff game. In Game 1 of the National League Division Series, the Nationals got the starting pitching they needed, but the offense and defense didn't have a great game in a 3-0 loss to the Cubs.
In Game 2, Nats starter Gio Gonzalez allowed three runs in five innings of work. In order for the club to have a chance to come back, they needed the bullpen to step up. Five hurlers did just that, never allowing the Cubs a chance to add on...
With one out and pinch-runner Victor Robles on first base in the eighth inning, the Nationals' Bryce Harper was at the plate against Cubs right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. Never mind that lefty Mike Montgomery was ready in the Cubs bullpen.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon played the percentages. He left the lefty in the bullpen.
Maddon wanted Edwards to face Harper, a left-handed batter, even though a lefty reliever would be a more traditional approach, but this is why Maddon liked the matchup:
Edwards...
For nine innings Friday night and for seven more innings tonight, they pleaded with every batter who stepped to the plate wearing a curly W helmet to deliver a big hit, just one big hit, to turn not only this National League Division Series around but at least give this franchise an opportunity to turn around nearly six seasons of failures on the big stage.
And just when they were ready to give up on their forlorn ballclub, two of the most important players in Nationals history delivered those...
It is a question worth asking even though we pretty much know the direction the organization will take: Should the Orioles be rebuilding now after posting a losing record in 2017, and with several veterans not signed beyond 2018?
The Orioles seem much more inclined to be reloading than rebuilding. They are still looking to add to their roster and improve their pitching to make another run for the playoffs in 2018.
But we all know that free agency awaits for four key players after the 2018...
The National League Division Series Game 2 scoring began with Anthony Rendon crushing a 1-1 offering from Jon Lester just inside the right field foul pole in the bottom of the first to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead.
It was the first run and first lead in the series for the Nats.
Willson Contreras countered with a solo homer off of Gio Gonzalez over the left field wall to begin the second inning.
We're tied 1-1 heading to the bottom of the second.
Update: In the fourth, Kris Bryant doubled and...
It's a new game on a new day. After the Nationals dropped Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday night, they will look to get even with the Cubs this afternoon on South Capitol Street.
While technically not a must-win game, the Nats really can't afford to go to Chicago down 2-0. And so a lot of pressure falls on Gio Gonzalez, who takes the mound today for Game 2. Gonzalez had one of his best seasons with the Nationals this year, going 15-9 with a 2.96 ERA.
Though there may be...