| Washington Nationals | |
| Season: | 2019 |
| Misc: | World Series Champions National League Champions National League Wild Card |
| League: | National League |
| Division: | East Division |
| Ballpark: | Nationals Park |
| City: | Washington, D.C. |
| Record: | 93–69 (.574) |
| Divisional Place: | 2nd |
| Owners: | Mark Lerner |
| General Managers: | Mike Rizzo |
| Managers: | Dave Martinez |
| Television: | MASN (Bob Carpenter, FP Santangelo, Alex Chappell, Dan Kolko, Bo Porter) |
| Radio: | 106.7 The Fan Washington Nationals Radio Network (Charlie Slowes, Dave Jageler) |
| Next Season: | 2020 Washington Nationals season |
In 2019, the Washington Nationals advanced to the World Series for the first time in franchise history and also Washington, D.C.'s first appearance in the World Series since the American League's Senators in 1933. They proceeded to defeat the Houston Astros in seven games to win the franchise's first World Series championship, and the first for Washington, D.C. since 1924.
|- style="text-align:center; background: #bfb"| 1 || October 1 || Brewers || 4–3 || Strasburg (1–0) || Hader (0–1) || Hudson (1) || 42,993 || 1–0|-|- style="background:#fbb;"| 1 || October 3 || @ Dodgers || 0–6 || Buehler (1–0) || Corbin (0–1) || — || 53,095 || 0–1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb"| 2 || October 4 || @ Dodgers || 4–2 || Strasburg (1–0) || Kershaw (0–1) || Hudson (1) || 53,086 || 1–1 |- style="background:#fbb;"| 3 || October 6 || Dodgers || 4–10 || Ryu (1–0) || Corbin (0–2) || — || 43,423 || 1–2|- style="background:#bfb;"| 4 || October 7 || Dodgers || 6–1 || Scherzer (1–0) || Urías (0–1) || — || 36,847 || 2–2|- style="background:#bfb;"| 5 || October 9 || @ Dodgers || 7–3 (10) || Hudson (1–0) || Kelly (0–1) || — || 54,159 || 3–2|-|- style="background:#bfb;"| 1 || October 11 || @ Cardinals || 2–0 || Sánchez (1–0) || Mikolas (0–1) || Doolittle (1) || 45,075 || 1–0|- style="background:#bfb;"| 2 || October 12 || @ Cardinals || 3–1 || Scherzer (1–0) || Wainwright (0–1) || Hudson (1) || 46,458 || 2–0|- style="background:#bfb;"| 3 || October 14 || Cardinals || 8–1 || Strasburg (1–0) || Flaherty (0–1) || — || 43,675 || 3–0|- style="background:#bfb;"| 4 || October 15 || Cardinals || 7–4 || Corbin (1–0) || Hudson (0–1) || Hudson (2) || 43,976 || 4–0|-|- style="background:#bfb;"| 1 || October 22 || @ Astros || 5–4 || Scherzer (1–0) || Cole (0–1) || Doolittle (1) || 43,339 || 1–0|- style="background:#bfb;"| 2 || October 23 || @ Astros || 12–3 || Strasburg (1–0) || Verlander (0–1) || — || 43,357 || 2–0|- style="background:#fbb;"| 3 || October 25 || Astros || 1–4 || James (1–0) || Sánchez (0–1) || Osuna (1) || 43,867 || 2–1|- style="background:#fbb;"| 4 || October 26 || Astros || 1–8 || Urquidy (1–0) || Corbin (0–1) || — || 43,889 || 2–2|- style="background:#fbb;"| 5 || October 27 || Astros || 1–7 || Cole (1–1) || Ross (0–1) || — || 43,910 || 2–3|- style="background:#bfb;"| 6 || October 29 || @ Astros || 7–2 || Strasburg (2–0) || Verlander (0–2) || — || 43,384 || 3–3|- style="background:#bfb;"| 7 || October 30 || @ Astros || 6–2 || Corbin (1–1) || Harris (0–1) || — || 43,326 || 4–3|-
See main article: 2019 National League Wild Card Game. Scherzer walked the Brewers′ first batter, right fielder Trent Grisham, and then gave up a home run in the next Milwaukee at-bat to catcher Yasmani Grandal.[1] [2] In the second inning, Milwaukee first baseman Eric Thames led off with a solo home run, and the Nationals trailed 3–0.[1] [2] Against Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff, the Nationals managed only two hits, although one of them was a home run that shortstop Trea Turner hit in the bottom of the third to cut Milwaukee's lead to 3–1.[1] [3] In the bottom of the eighth inning, Milwaukee closer Josh Hader came in for a potential six-out save.[1] [3] Michael A. Taylor pinch-hit for Strasburg and reached first when the umpiring crew ruled that a pitch which appeared either to have hit Taylor or the knob of his bat had in fact hit him, and a Brewers challenge resulted in that decision being upheld.[1] [2] [3] Ryan Zimmerman hit a broken-bat single to center, advancing Taylor to third.[1] [2] [3] After Andrew Stevenson came in to pinch-run for Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon walked on a full count to load the bases.[1] [2] [3] Juan Soto then singled to right and outfielder Trent Grisham misplayed the ball; by the time Soto was tagged out between second and third to end the inning, Taylor, Stevenson, and Rendon all had scored to give the Nationals a 4–3 lead, their first lead of the game. [1] [2] [3] Soto, with his back to the play and unsure whether the throw was going to home or third, pulled up between bases to bait the Brewers into catching him in a rundown, thus ensuring that Rendon would score the go-ahead run before Soto could be tagged out. Daniel Hudson then closed for the Nats, giving up one hit in a scoreless ninth inning and earning a save to lock down a 4–3 victory.[2]
See main article: 2019 National League Division Series.
The Dodgers scored their first run in the first inning without ever putting the ball in play.[4] Catcher Yan Gomes had a passed ball,[5] and Corbin became only the second pitcher ever to walk four batters in the first inning of his first postseason appearance.[5] [6] Corbin then retired seven of the next eight Los Angeles batters.[4] Corbin allowed consecutive singles to second baseman Max Muncy and shortstop Corey Seager to start the fourth inning, although he kept Los Angeles from adding to its lead.[5] [4] In the fifth inning, however, he walked center fielder Cody Bellinger with two outs and gave up a single to right fielder Chris Taylor that advanced Bellinger to third, after which Kendrick committed another error on a Muncy grounder that allowed Bellinger to score and stake Los Angeles to a 2–0 lead; Taylor was thrown out at home to end the inning.[5] [7] [4] Corbin left the game after six innings, having thrown 107 pitches, 62 for strikes, and striking out nine Dodgers while walking five and giving up three hits.[5] [7] [8]
For the Dodgers, Buehler allowed only one base runner – on a second-inning single by left fielder Juan Soto – through the first three innings.[5] [4] The Nats threatened to tie the game at 1–1 in the fourth inning when right fielder Adam Eaton, third baseman Anthony Rendon, and Kendrick all walked, but Buehler got second baseman Asdrúbal Cabrera to ground out to end the inning and kept Washington off the board.[4] Like Corbin, Buehler pitched six innings; he walked three, struck out eight, allowed only one hit, and threw 100 pitches, 62 of them strikes.[5] [8] He retired the last seven batters he faced[5] and left the game with a 2–0 lead.
Against Los Angeles relievers Adam Kolarek, Kenta Maeda, and Joe Kelly, the Nationals offense managed only more hit, a double by shortstop Trea Turner in the ninth, their only base runner after the fourth inning;[5] [4] the Dodgers pitching staff finished with a combined 13 strikeouts, giving up only three walks.[8] The Washington bullpen fared poorly, allowing four hits, two walks, and four earned runs over two innings of work.[9] With one out in the seventh, Nationals reliever Tanner Rainey – making the first postseason appearance of his career – walked pinch hitter Joc Pederson and gave up a single to third baseman Justin Turner.[4] Fernando Rodney came in to relieve Rainey, walked Taylor to load the bases, and allowed a two-out single to Muncy that scored Bellinger and Turner and stretched the Dodgers′ lead to 4–0.[4] In the eighth inning, Hunter Strickland gave up two solo homers, to pitch hitter Gavin Lux and Pederson.[5] [7] [4] The Dodgers shut out the Nationals on two hits and won 6–0 to take a 1–0 series lead.[7] [8] Los Angeles extended its winning streak to eight games, dating back into the regular season, while Washington's winning streak in the regular season and postseason combined ended at nine.[5] This would be Washington's only road loss in their World Series run; following this game, they would win eight straight road games to clinch the title.
9:37 p.m. (EDT) at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California
Starting for Los Angeles, three-time Cy Young Award-winner Clayton Kershaw had a rocky first inning, giving up a double to Washington's leadoff hitter, shortstop Trea Turner, on the first pitch of the game.[10] [11] He then issued a one-out walk to third baseman Anthony Rendon and hit left fielder Juan Soto with a pitch to load the bases.[10] Second baseman Howie Kendrick singled to drive in Turner from third base before Kershaw got out of the first inning without further damage.[10] [11] In the second inning, Kershaw hit the Nats leadoff hitter, center fielder Victor Robles, with a pitch, and Robles reached second on a sacrifice bunt by pitcher Stephen Strasburg. Right fielder Adam Eaton drove in Robles with a single, and Rendon doubled to score Eaton and make the score 3–0.[10] [11] Over the next four innings, Kershaw only gave up two more hits, and he finished his outing with four strikeouts and a walk, having given up three runs on six hits in six innings of work.[10] [11]
Strasburg had thrown 34 pitches in relief[11] during the wild-card game three days earlier, but returned to the mound to start Game 2 for the Nationals on the shortest rest between appearances of his career.[10] Retiring the first 14 batters he faced,[11] he pitched a perfect game through innings, no Dodger reaching first base until catcher Will Smith singled with two outs in the fifth inning.[10] [11] Strasburg's 23-game postseason scoreless streak, which dated back to the 2014 National League Division Series,[10] [11] finally came to an end in the sixth inning when Dodgers pinch hitter Matt Beaty singled, advanced to third on a double by right fielder Joc Pederson, and scored on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Justin Turner.[10] [11] [12] With the Nats winning 3–1, Strasburg left the game after throwing 85 pitches[11] over six innings of three-hit, one-run ball, issuing no walks and striking out ten Dodgers.[10] He lowered his career postseason ERA to 0.64, passing Dodgers great Sandy Koufax – who was in the stands at Dodger Stadium for Game 2[10] – for the best career postseason ERA in history for a pitcher with at least four postseason starts.[10] [13] By the time he completed his outing, Strasburg had allowed only one run and struck out 14 batters over nine innings of work during the 2019 postseason;[14] for his career, he had pitched 28 postseason innings, striking out 38, walking only four, and allowing his opponents a batting average of only .192.[15]
The Dodgers closed to a 3–2 deficit when first baseman Max Muncy hit a 413feet solo homer off reliever Sean Doolittle in the seventh inning.[10] [11] [12] In the top of the eighth inning, the Nationals extended their lead to 4–2 when first baseman Ryan Zimmerman doubled, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Robles, and scored on an Asdrúbal Cabrera pinch-hit single;[10] [11] [12] Robles left the game after his bunt with what Nationals manager Dave Martinez described postgame as a "minor hamstring issue."[10] Martinez surprised Dodgers manager Dave Roberts by bringing Max Scherzer – who Martinez had earlier announced as the starter for Game 3[11] – to pitch the bottom of the eighth in Game 2;[10] making the fourth postseason relief appearance of his career,[10] Scherzer struck out the side on 14 pitches, hitting 99mph despite having thrown 77 pitches in the wild-card game he had started three days earlier.[10] [11] [12]
In the bottom of the ninth, Daniel Hudson came in to close for Washington with the Nationals still leading 4–2.[10] [11] Justin Turner led off against Hudson with a ground-rule double, but then Hudson struck out left fielder A. J. Pollock and Anthony Rendon made a twisting, turning catch, falling to the ground to grab a pop fly to shallow left field by center fielder Cody Bellinger for the second out.[10] [11] [12] Martinez then made a risky decision, intentionally walking the hot-hitting Muncy and bringing the potential winning run to the plate in the form of Will Smith.[10] [11] [12] Hudson walked Smith on four pitches to load the bases before striking out shortstop Corey Seager for the final out.[10] [11] [12] Washington's pitching staff combined to strike out 17 Dodgers,[10] and the Nationals won 4–2, snapping an eight-game Dodgers winning streak dating back into the regular season[5] and evening the series at 1–1.[10]
7:45 p.m. (EDT) at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez originally planned to have Max Scherzer start Game 3, but after Scherzer threw an inning of relief in Game 2, he opted to give Aníbal Sánchez the start instead and switched Scherzer's start to Game 4.[16] Sánchez got into a bases-loaded jam in the first inning on two walks and a single,[17] but he kept Los Angeles from scoring until the fifth inning, when first baseman Max Muncy hit a solo home run.[17] [18] [19] Meanwhile, the Nationals – with center fielder Victor Robles sitting out the game with a minor hamstring injury[18] – jumped on Dodgers starter Hyun-jin Ryu in the first inning, when Adam Eaton walked and left fielder Juan Soto hit a two-run homer,[16] [17] [18] [19] Washington's first homer of the series. Ryu left the game after five innings with the Nationals leading 2–1; he had given up four hits and two walks and struck out three during his outing.[20]
Sánchez also pitched five very effective innings and scattered four hits, with nine strikeouts and a walk.[16] [20] [19] By the end of the fifth, he had thrown 87 pitches[18] [19] and faced the Dodgers′ lineup twice, and statistics showed that his performance tended to decline if he faced an opponent's order a third time, so Martinez took him out of the game.[19] Not believing he could rely on his middle relievers to preserve close leads[16] [18] – Washington's bullpen had finished the regular season with the worst ERA in the National League[18] – Martinez brought in starter Patrick Corbin to pitch what turned out to be the decisive sixth inning.[17] Pitching on three days of rest after throwing 107 pitches in six innings in Game 1[16] and making his first relief appearance since a single appearance in relief for the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2017 season,[18] Corbin gave up a single to the Dodgers′ leadoff hitter, center fielder Cody Bellinger, but followed that by striking out shortstop Corey Seager and left fielder A. J. Pollock in consecutive at-bats.[17] Then Corbin's slider failed him, and his outing unraveled. Pinch-hitter David Freese singled, advancing Bellinger to third, and catcher Russell Martin doubled on a 2–2 count, scoring Bellinger and Freese to give Los Angeles a 3–2 lead.[16] [17] [18] [19] Corbin walked pinch hitter Chris Taylor on five pitches, then gave up a double on a 1–2 count to pinch hitter Enrique Hernández that scored Martin and Taylor and stretched the Dodgers′ lead to 5–2.[16] [17] [18] [19] The Nationals then intentionally walked Muncy[16] [17] before taking Corbin out of the game after 35 pitches over two-thirds of an inning.[16] Wander Suero relieved Corbin and faced third baseman Justin Turner, who worked the count full and then hit a three-run homer to make the score 8–2.[16] [17] [18] [19] Bellinger followed with a double before Suero induced a groundout by Seager to bring the inning to a close.[17] Eleven Dodgers had come to the plate,[17] and Los Angeles became the first MLB team in history to score seven two-out, two-strike runs in a single postseason inning.[16] [18]
Despite the shocking turn of events in the top of the sixth, the Nationals staged a rally in the bottom of the inning. Joe Kelly came in to pitch in relief for Los Angeles and was ineffective, issuing consecutive walks to third baseman Anthony Rendon and left fielder Juan Soto before giving up a single to second baseman Howie Kendrick that loaded the bases with no outs.[16] [17] Kelly then threw a wild pitch, allowing Rendon to score from third and the other runners to move up, and walked catcher Yan Gomes to load the bases again.[16] [17] Julio Urías relieved Kelly and faced pinch hitter Asdrúbal Cabrera, who hit a sacrifice fly that scored Soto from third but turned into a double play when Kendrick was thrown out trying to tag at second and reach third.[16] [17] Nearly an hour after it began, the sixth inning finally ended when center fielder Michael A. Taylor popped out, ending the Nationals rally with the score 8–4.[16] [17]
In the seventh inning, Nationals reliever Fernando Rodney gave up a double to Freese and a walk to Martin with one out, then walked Hernández with two outs to load the bases, but got out of the inning without the Dodgers adding to their lead.[16] [17] In the ninth inning, however, Hunter Strickland came in to pitch and gave up two more runs to Los Angeles against the first two batters he faced, surrendering a single to Freese and a two-run homer to Martin.[16] [18] The Dodgers won 10–4 and took a 2–1 lead in the series.[16] [18]
6:40 p.m. (EDT) at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
After Alexander Ovechkin, team captain of the National Hockey League′s Washington Capitals, threw the ceremonial first pitch,[21] Max Scherzer took the mound at Nationals Park as the Nats faced elimination in Game 4. He gave up a two-out solo home run to third baseman Justin Turner in the top of the first inning on his tenth pitch of the game,[22] [23] but through the sixth inning gave up only two more hits, allowing the Dodgers no further runs.[22] Over one stretch from the second to the seventh inning, he retired 14 of the 15 batters he faced.[24]
Behind 1–0 early on the Justin Turner homer, the Nationals mounted their first scoring threat against Los Angeles starter Rich Hill in the third inning.[22] Starting in center field for the second straight game while Victor Robles continued his recovery from his minor hamstring injury in Game 2,[23] Michael A. Taylor led off with a walk.[22] Shortstop Trea Turner followed with a one-out single that advanced Taylor to third, right fielder Adam Eaton walked to load the bases, and third baseman Anthony Rendon scored Taylor from third on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1–1.[22] [23] Left fielder Juan Soto walked to load the bases again before Kenta Maeda relieved Hill and got second baseman Howie Kendrick to ground out to end the inning.[22]
The game remained a 1–1 tie until Washington's offense broke out in the bottom of the fifth inning. Julio Urías came in to pitch for Los Angeles, and Trea Turner promptly singled and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Eaton.[22] [23] Rendon then singled, scoring Turner and giving the Nationals their first lead at 2–1.[22] [23] With two outs, Kendrick singled, advancing Rendon to third, and Pedro Báez replaced Urías on the mound.[22] Then first baseman Ryan Zimmerman – in his 15th season with Washington and playing amid speculation among fans and the press that he could be playing his final game at Nationals Park[23] [25] – came to bat and hit Báez's second pitch 414feet[26] onto the batter's eye in center field, a three-run homer that give the Nationals a 5–1 lead.[22] [23] [25] Catcher Kurt Suzuki followed with a walk and Taylor with a single that advanced Suzuki to second before Scherzer – the ninth man to bat in the inning – grounded out after an eight-pitch at-bat.[22] The Nationals added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth, when Turner led off with a ground-rule double off Dodgers reliever Ross Stripling, advanced to third on a Stripling wild pitch, and scored on another Rendon sacrifice fly to make the score 6–1.[22] [23]
Finally tiring with one out in the seventh inning, Scherzer allowed a single to left fielder Matt Beaty and walked second baseman Gavin Lux and catcher Will Smith, but, with the bases loaded, he struck out pinch hitter Chris Taylor and induced a groundout by right fielder Joc Pederson – who narrowly missed a bases-clearing double or triple when he drove Scherzer's first pitch hard down the right field line, only to have it land about an inch (2.5 cm) foul[23] – to keep the Dodgers from scoring.[22] At the end of the inning, Scherzer left the game after 109 pitches – 72 of them strikes – allowing only four hits, walking three, and striking out seven.[25] [27] During the remainder of the game, each team managed only one single.[22] Sean Doolittle and Daniel Hudson combined to pitch a scoreless final two innings for Washington,[22] and the Nationals won 6–1, evening the series at 2–2[23] and forcing a decisive Game 5 at Dodger Stadium two nights later.
With entire sections in the upper deck nearly empty,[28] Game 4 was the first playoff game in the history of Nationals Park that did not sell out, drawing only 36,847 fans, filling the stadium to only 89 percent of its capacity.[29] It was one of three MLB Division Series games that did not sell out that day; the NLDS game at St. Louis and the 2019 American League Division Series game at Tampa Bay also did not sell out.[28]
8:37 p.m. (EDT) at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California
The Nationals opened Nationals Park to fans for a free watch party – televising the game on the stadium's scoreboard – for Game 5, which took place 2500miles away at Dodger Stadium.[30] It was Washington's third elimination game in eight days, and since moving to Washington the team had lost all three times it had played in Game 5 of a National League Division Series previously.[31] Making his third postseason appearance, Stephen Strasburg started, and Los Angeles jumped on him early: Right fielder Joc Pederson hit a lead-off ground-rule double and the next Dodgers batter, second baseman Max Muncy – previously 0-for-12 against Strasburg[32] – connected on Strasburg's eighth pitch of the game for a two-run homer over the center field wall.[32] [33] Strasburg continued to labor in the first, giving up a walk and a single before inducing shortstop Corey Seager to ground into an inning-ending double play without allowing Los Angeles to add to its lead.[33] In the second inning, however, Dodgers left fielder Enrique Hernández led off with a solo homer to center on Strasburg's second pitch of the inning to give Los Angeles an early 3–0 lead;[32] [33] it was Hernández's third home run in six career at-bats against Strasburg.[34] Strasburg was far more effective after that, scattering three more singles and leaving the game after six innings with the score still 3–0.[33] Throwing 105 pitches, he allowed six hits, struck out seven, and walked only one Dodger.[31] [35] Tanner Rainey and Patrick Corbin combined to pitch a perfect seventh inning in relief of Strasburg.[33] He left the game having thrown 224 pitches in the 2019 postseason, more than any other MLB pitcher through the end of the four division series.[36]
The Nationals offense had less success against Dodgers starter Walker Buehler, who had one-hit Washington in six innings of work six days earlier in Game 1.[8] This time, Buehler allowed only a single to first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and a walk to Strasburg during the first four innings.[33] The Nationals mounted their first scoring threat in the fifth inning, when catcher Kurt Suzuki led off with a walk and center fielder Michael A. Taylor – starting for the third straight game in place of the injured Victor Robles – followed with a single that advanced Suzuki to second, but Buehler struck out Strasburg and shortstop Trea Turner and got right fielder Adam Eaton to fly out, keeping the Nats off the board.[33] The Nationals finally broke through against Buehler in the sixth inning, when third baseman Anthony Rendon hit a lead-off double and left fielder Juan Soto singled to drive in Rendon,[31] but Buehler got out of the inning without further damage on a double play and a strikeout, and the inning ended with Los Angeles leading 3–1.[33]
The Nationals again pressed Buehler in the seventh inning. Suzuki led off, and Buehler's fourth pitch ricocheted off his wrist and hit him in the face, a frightening turn of events that forced him to leave the game escorted by the Nationals′ training staff;[32] [33] Yan Gomes came in to pinch run for him and took over the catching duties.[32] [33] Trea Turner then drew a two-out walk, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to take Buehler out of the game;[33] Buehler left having thrown 117 pitches, giving up four hits and three walks while striking out seven in innings.[35] Roberts brought in ace starter Clayton Kershaw to relieve Buehler, and Kershaw got out of the inning by striking out Eaton.[33] When he returned to the mound to pitch the eighth inning, however, he faltered and the Nationals′ fortunes began to turn around. Rendon led off with a line-drive homer to center on Kershaw's second pitch of the inning to make the score 3–2[31] [32] [33] and quiet the crowd,[34] and on Kershaw's next pitch Soto hit a towering 449feet home run – the longest of his career at the time[32] – into the right center field stands, tying the game at 3–3.[31] [32] [33] Kenta Maeda relieved Kershaw and ended the inning on three consecutive strikeouts.[33]
Corbin pitched the bottom of the eighth, allowing only one base runner when he hit third baseman Justin Turner with a pitch.[31] [33] Joe Kelly, who had been ineffective in his Game 3 appearance, pitched the top of the ninth for Los Angeles with far greater success and struck out the side.[33] In the bottom of the ninth, Nationals reliever Daniel Hudson gave up a one-out single to Enrique Hernández,[32] and in the next at-bat Dodgers catcher Will Smith hit a deep fly ball to right field[32] [33] that prompted Dodgers players to emerge from their dugout in anticipation of celebrating a two-run homer and a walk-off win, but instead the ball settled into Eaton's glove deep on the warning track for the second out.[32] Los Angeles did not score, and the game went into extra innings, still tied at 3–3.[31] [33]
Roberts opted to have Kelly return to the mound to pitch the top of the 10th inning.[31] Kelly walked Eaton to begin the inning, then gave up a ground rule double to Rendon that advanced Eaton to third.[31] [32] [33] The Dodgers then intentionally walked Soto,[31] [32] [33] and second baseman Howie Kendrick came to the plate with no outs and the bases loaded. Kendrick was 0-for-4 in the game[32] and had had a difficult division series, going 4-for-19 (.211),[32] making a baserunning error in Game 3, hitting into a rally-killing double play in Game 4,[31] and committing three errors in the field,[31] two of them in Game 1[32] and one earlier in Game 5,[33] but after fouling off Kelly's first pitch he hit Kelly's second one 410feet over the wall in dead center field for his second career grand slam.[31] [33] Only the second postseason extra-inning grand slam in MLB history,[32] [37] it gave the Nationals a 7–3 lead[32] [33] and prompted Los Angeles fans to start heading for the exits.[32] After Kelly also gave up a one-out single to Gomes,[33] Roberts was roundly booed by the Los Angeles home crowd when he appeared on the field to take Kelly out of the game.[38] Kenley Jansen relieved Kelly and got the final two outs.[33]
In the bottom of the 10th, Dodgers hitters faced Sean Doolittle, who pitched a perfect inning,[33] the game ending on a spectacular diving catch in shallow center field by Michael A. Taylor to retire Justin Turner for the third out.[32] The Nationals won the game 7–3 and the series 3–2.[32] For the first time since arriving in Washington in 2005 and only the second time in Montreal-Washington franchise history, the team won a playoff series.[32] [39]