District Daily: Doug Fister gets job done, Gio Gonzalez approaches Giants from different angle

Oct 6, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher

(58) pitches during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants in game three of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning DoD readers! Start off your day with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web in our District Daily:

DOUG FISTER GETS THE JOB DONE

(Mike Bauman, Sports on Earth)

SAN FRANCISCO — This is the recommended course of action for a team facing postseason elimination: Have the starting pitcher give up absolutely nothing on the scoreboard.

By the shores of San Francisco Bay, on a warm and sunny October afternoon that was spectacular even before anybody started pitching, Doug Fister pitched the Washington Nationals right back into their National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants.

Fister, paired against the ace of the Giants’ staff, Madison Bumgarner, gave the Nats precisely what they needed, which in this case was seven shutout innings. Read full article here.

Gio approaches Giants from a different angle

(Paul Hagen, MLB.com)

SAN FRANCISCO — Baseball has become a sport in which teams try to find the smallest edge. Advanced metrics and extreme defensive shifts are two examples of the trend.

So the simple fact that Gio Gonzalez, the Nationals’ starter against the Giants in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, throws with his left hand could be pretty significant as Washington attempts to keep its comeback hopes alive.

After staving off elimination with a 4-1 win on Monday, the Nats still trail the best-of-five series, 2-1, and face another must-win game at AT&T Park on Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Read full article here.

Nine reasons to believe the Nationals can still win the series

(Dan Steinberg, Washington Post)

For the Nationals, it’s win or go home today in San Francisco. Here are nine reasons to be optimistic that Washington can overcome its 2-0 deficit against the Giants.

It’s been done before, most recently by the Giants

Of the 46 teams that have fallen behind two games-to-none since the current divisional series format began in 1995, 29 have gone on to be swept, including the Tigers and Angels this season. Five teams, though, have come back to win the series. The Giants, who won three consecutive games at Cincinnati in the 2012 NLDS after dropping the first two games at home, are the most recent team — and the only National League squad — to do it. Read full article here.