{"id":14474,"date":"2017-10-08T09:16:21","date_gmt":"2017-10-08T13:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/?p=14474"},"modified":"2017-10-08T09:16:21","modified_gmt":"2017-10-08T13:16:21","slug":"nats-salvage-the-split-hows-our-chances-of-getting-back-to-dc-for-a-5th-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalsarmrace.com\/?p=14474","title":{"rendered":"Nats salvage the split; how’s our chances of getting back to DC for a 5th game?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Harper<\/a>

Harper certainly liked Zimmerman’s homer. Photo via fanragsports.com<\/p><\/div>\n

It was looking pretty gloomy heading into the 8th inning. \u00a0Trea Turner<\/strong> had just struck out for the 8th straight time (ok that was an exaggeration, but he is 0-8 with four punch-outs from the lead-off spot this series) with the bases loaded and the Nats had gone 17 innings and scored precisely one lucky run (Anthony Rendon<\/strong>‘s excuse-me-opposite field homer).<\/p>\n

Then\u00a0Carl Edwards Jr.<\/strong> hung a curve-ball to one of baseball’s best sluggers. \u00a0And I mean, he frigging hung it. \u00a0It came up to the plate on a big ole loop and\u00a0Bryce Harper<\/strong>, who has been hitting majestic homers to the upper deck in RF since he was in his teens, did not miss. \u00a0 Tie Game, and the curious bullpen usage of the 8th inning by\u00a0Joe Maddon<\/strong> continued a few more batters, enabling\u00a0Ryan Zimmerman<\/strong> to hit one *just out* of left field off a lefty reliever to cap off a 5 run 8th inning come back and seal the victory.<\/p>\n

(Note, per comments, yes this definitely cracks my all time top 10 games list … we’ll publish it again in the off-season. \u00a0I think i’ve got it 8th or so).<\/p>\n

So we head to Chicago with a 1-1 split and disaster averted. \u00a0How do things look in Chicago? \u00a0Lets look at the presumed starters here on out:<\/p>\n