With ice water in their veins, the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals each won Game 5s on the road to make it to the NLCS. The best-of-seven series begins on Friday in St. Louis. The Nationals clinched their first-ever NLCS berth, while the Cardinals clinched their first NLCS berth since 2014.
Nationals vs. Cardinals (Nats lead series 3-0)
- Date: Tuesday, October 15
- Time: 8:08 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: TBS
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)
You couldn’t have scripted a better comeback victory. Down 3-0 for much of Game 5 on Wednesday against the 107-win Dodgers, the Nationals stormed back to score seven unanswered runs thanks in part to a grand slam by Howie Kendrick in the 10th inning to secure a 7-3 win. Kendrick had his fair share of miscues during the series, but manager Dave Martinez stuck with him. After the game, Kendrick said it was the best moment of his career.
Veteran right-hander Aníbal Sánchez will start against the Cardinals in Game 1 of the NLCS. The 35-year-old Sanchez tossed five innings of one-run ball on four hits against the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLDS–a 10-4 loss. He also allowed two walks and struck out nine. The Nationals lineup, while well-rounded, is all about potential MVP Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto, both of whom hit home runs in Tuesday’s clincher. Anthony Rendon had 34 home runs on the year with a .319 batting average, while Soto at 20 years old has had some of the most clutch hits of the postseason.
However, don’t take the Cardinals lightly. They have the experience and a strong core of players that got them to this spot. After being on the brink of elimination in Game 4, the team came out swinging from the first pitch in Game 5 and never looked back in a 13-1 win on Wednesday. A 10-run first inning set a Major League record for most runs scored in the first inning of a playoff game. The team also scored as many runs (13) by the third inning as they had in the previous four games of the series combined.
Right-handers Miles Mikolas and Adam Wainwright will start Games 1 and 2. The two performed well at home this season, as Wainwright went 9-4 with 2.56 ERA in 16 starts, while Mikolas went 5-6 with a 3.01 ERA over his 15 home starts. Jack Flaherty and Dakota Hudson will start for the Cards on the road in Games 3 and 4. Mikolas went five innings during his start in Game 1 of the NLDS, holding the Braves to one run on three hits and two walks.
NLCS Schedule
Game 4- Oct. 15 Cardinals at Nationals – TBS
* Game 5- Oct. 16 TBD TBS
* Game 6- Oct. 18 TBD TBS
* Game 7- Oct. 19 TBD TBS
* If necessary
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