A Pitching Duel for the Ages

I can officially never say that a pitching duel in a baseball game is boring again. After leaving in disgust from Nationals Park after Game 3 of the NLDS, I was ready to write off the Washington Nationals' season. Having lost the previous two games by a total of 16 runs, there didn't seem to be much hope in the Nation's Capital, but as I entered the park, there was a light ray of hope in their season, even though I shouted at a street musician from behind a crowd to play "taps."

Ross Detwiler is definitely the Nationals wild card of the starting rotation, he needed to pitch the game of his life to help the Nationals stay in the hunt. Not allowing an earned run over 6 innings did just that, Detwiler gave the fans energy as the game moved on. On the other side, you had Kyle Lohse who only allowed two hits and one run in seven innings throughout the game.

Adam LaRoche gave the Nationals an early lead with a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the third, while the Cardinals struck back with an RBI pop out in the top of the fourth. From there, neither team got a runner onto second base, for which the Nationals never achieved anyway. It was an intense atmosphere with the stadium hanging on every pitch as if it were the game's last.

In the top of the ninth, Ian Desmond had a spectacular catch in shallow left field that sent the game to the bottom of the ninth. You could feel it in the crowd; that isn't a ball that a player usually catches, especially if you play for a Washington sports team, a city known for sports heartbreak. Going into the bottom of the ninth, there were only five hits the entire game. The fans remained hopeful, but yet at the same time swelled with concern like they do every year when it looks as if heartbreak is about to cast its' dark shadow again.

At the start of the final frame was Jayson Werth, someone who had the ire of many Nationals fans for his large contract and lack of coming through in the clutch in many key situations. What transpired next was incredible. After going down 0-2, Werth battled back to bring a then 12-pitch at bat to a full count, 3 balls and 2 strikes, before launching a 96 mph fastball, the 13th pitch of the at-bat, into the St. Louis bullpen for a 2-1 Washington victory. The final game of the series will be tonight at 8:30pm EDT.

If you were there tonight you obviously felt the energy. If you weren't, it's not something you can describe. If you ever experience it, you can never say a pitcher's duel is boring again. With the stadium full, there's really no experience in baseball like it.