In the last edition of the 20th Anniversary series before the season, it is only right to remember the greatest night in Nats history
In the 20th anniversary series, I have highlighted some of the most memorable players and moments in Washington Nationals history. With the season just around the corner, it only felt right to re-live October 30th, 2019, the greatest night in Nats history. It was the night the 2019 Nationals truly became legendary.
After a heroic performance by Stephen Strasburg to extend the series, the Astros and the Nationals were set for a game 7. It had been an odd series, with the road team winning all of the first six games. Other than game one, none of the games were particularly close either.
The pitching matchup was fitting for the occasion. It featured two future hall of famers in Max Scherzer and Zack Greinke. However, both aces had lingering question marks. Greinke had been unconvincing in playoffs. He only completed five innings in one of his four playoff starts and had been roughed up a couple times. Scherzer was coming off a massive injury scare. The right hander had to be scratched for game 5 after waking up with severe neck pain. However, he was back and ready for battle in Game 7.
Scherzer was clearly not at his best. His normally pinpoint control was scattershot that night. Mad Max didn’t have his A game, or even his B game that night. However, Scherzer is going to be a Hall of Famer for a reason. He battled and gave it everything he had. Scherzer used every trick in the book to get out of trouble. It wasn’t pretty, but Scherzer found a way to give the Nats five innings allowing 2 runs.
What makes elite pitchers elite is how they fare when they don’t have their best stuff. The best of the best will keep their team in the game, and Scherzer did just that. He allowed 11 baserunners, but only two of them crossed home plate.
On the other hand, Greinke was dealing. He looked like the best version of himself. The veteran was just floating on the mound, putting pitches where ever he wanted them. Nobody on the Nats could make hard contact. When he struck out Trea Turner to end the sixth, it looked like he could go all night.
However, the beauty of the 2019 Washington Nationals was that they were never out of a game. That team had been through it all, they weren’t going to let a two run deficit stop them. When the middle of the Nats lineup came to the plate in the seventh inning, they were not going to be denied.
After Adam Eaton grounded out, Anthony Rendon stepped to the plate. The third baseman finally made something happen against Greinke. He launched a changeup into the Crawford Boxes to cut the lead in half. In the seventh inning or later in the Nats five elimination games, Rendon went 6/6 with a walk. Now that is what you call clutch.
After Greinke walked Juan Soto, he was done. AJ Hinch had seen enough and went to the bullpen. It was a surprising decision because Greinke had been dealing all night and this was his first hiccup. His pitch count was also in a very manageable spot. However, the Astros went to their fireman Will Harris.
He squared off against Howie Kendrick, and we know what happened next. Howie took a cutter the other way, and with the loud thud of the foul pole, the Nationals took the lead and never gave it back.
However, the game was not yet out of reach. Patrick Corbin, who replaced Scherzer, still had to tame the mighty Astros lineup. The $140 million dollar man did just that. While he would have his struggles in the years to come, those three shut down innings will never be forgotten.
In the meantime, the Nats would tack on some insurance runs in both the 8th and 9th inning to make the game 6-2. Those were very nice because it made the ending so much more stressful. I am not sure if my heart could have handled it if the Nats went into the 9th inning only up by a run.
With a four run cushion, Daniel Hudson could go right after hitters. He quickly turned aside both George Springer and Jose Altuve. Then Michael Brantley came to the plate. On a 3-2 count, Hudson threw a picture perfect slider, then time felt like it had stopped. Everything that happened those next few seconds felt so fast yet so slow at the same time.
The Washington Nationals had really done it. They were World Series champions. After all those years of heartbreak, they were at the top of the mountain. The playoff chokers were playoff champions. They had really done it, the Washington Nationals were World Series champions.