Stephen Strasburg struck out a baker’s dozen St. Louis Cardinals, and the Washington Nationals won game three of the NLCS by an 8-1 margin. Furthermore, this series has not been real competitive – leaving many baseball fans to wonder if the Atlanta Braves would have been a better suitor for their division foe.
Now, Washington is on the brink of a World Series appearance with just one more win. Remember, they had not won a World Series until they shocked the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the NLDS in Los Angeles.
Currently, people around baseball are buzzing about Washington. Juan Soto and Anthony Rendon are suddenly household names. At the water cooler, people around the country are taking notice. Of course, they’re headlined by their starting pitching. The aforementioned Strasburg is a big part of that.
STEPHEN STRASBURG STRIKES OUT THE SIDE IN THE 7TH!
He's matched his #Postseason career high with 12 on the night.#Strasmas // #STAYINTHEFIGHT pic.twitter.com/b07ofFXKL2
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) October 15, 2019
Moreover, the Nationals’ starting pitchers have completely dominated the Cardinals in this series. Check out this tweet by Stats by STATS on twitter.
After Stephen Strasburg's outing, the @Nationals' starters have now gone 25.2 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.
That's the 2nd-longest streak ever by an NL team in a single postseason – the Giants' starters didn't allow an ER over the entire 1905 WS (44.0 IP).
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) October 15, 2019
Indeed, Nationals’ starters have gone 25.2 consecutive innings without allowing an earned-run. How good is this? It’s the second longest streak ever by a National league team in a single postseason. What’s more, this dates all the way back to the 1905 World Series.
Obviously barring a complete collapse by Washington – who get to play the next two at home – they’re headed to the final series of the year in the sport. Then, they will face a loaded Astros or Yankees squad.
Before then, it’s about enjoying the right now. How quickly fortunes can change, when you think about the fact that Washington was on the brink of elimination in the NL Wildcard game at the hands of an underdog Milwaukee Brewers team minus Christian Yelich.
Suddenly, the Nationals will have baseball pundits talking about how it’s only just beginning for them; and a long window of playing for titles lies ahead.
That’s the great thing about baseball. A hot stretch can mean absolutely everything to a franchise. The Nationals are on a hot stretch right now, and who will stop them is anyone’s guess.
