On Tuesday, October 1st, 2019 the Washington Nationals played the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League wild card playoff play in game. The winner would face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League divisional series of the 2019 MLB postseason.

The Brewers started off the game strong by getting 2 runs in the first inning off a home run by Yasmani Grandal. Then they followed that up with another home run in second inning by Eric Thames putting the Brewers up 3-0.

The Nationals battled back with a solo home run by Trea Turner in the third inning of the baseball game. The score was now 3-1 with the Nationals trailing the Brewers. This was the last of any scoring for quite a while as both starting pitchers settled in and began dealing. No runs were tallied from the fourth inning through the seventh inning on either side.

Milwaukee was feeling good entering the eighth inning leading by 2 with their intimidating bullpen just needing 6 outs to win the game. Their premier relief pitcher, Josh Hader, took the mound with everything riding on him. After the Brewers gave up a single, a walk, and a batter hit by a pitch the bases were loaded with 2 outs.

The young star for the Nationals, Juan Soto, came to plate in quite a decisive situation in the game. He ended up singling to right field, and the right fielder made an error as the ball got behind him. All three base runners for the Nationals scored putting the Washington team up for the first time in the game as they now led the wild card game 4-3. Soto was tagged out on the play after the runs scored ending the inning.

Washington finished the game easily which gave them the victory ending the Milwaukee Brewers postseason run as well as their season. Additionally, they advanced to play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League divisional playoff series of the MLB postseason beginning on Thursday, October 3rd, 2019.

Media Statements:

“We started off horrible, as we all know, and we vowed that we wouldn’t quit,” the Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez explained. “I told the boys, `I promise you, stay with it, don’t quit, this will turn around.’ And it did. And here we are today.”

“We’ve been here a bunch of times. Never kind of broke through,” says Ryan Zimmerman. “Finally caught a break tonight.”

The Brewers closer, Josh Hader, stated, “Definitely looked like it got the bat, but it also got his hand.”

“Just get a base hit up the middle,” says Soto, “and try to help to tie the game.”

“Right guy, right spot,” Stephen Strasburg said in regards to Soto.

“The inning was an ugly inning,” says Brewers manager, Craig Counsell. “Crazy things happen.”

“It’s going to sting,” Trent Grisham expressed.

“Hats off for us to for continuing to fight, because we know if we could keep it close we could have a chance at the end,” said Trea Turner, who got Washington within 3-1 with a solo shot off Brandon Woodruff in the third.

“Kind of sums up our season, the way this game went,” Ryan Zimmerman explained. “We’ll take it and we’ll move on.”