We give you our three keys to Game 3 of the NLDS between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers
Yesterday, the Washington Nationals got a timely hit from an unlikely hero. Trailing 2-0 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bottom of the fourth, Jose Lobaton hit a three-run home run to left, which shifted the entire momentum of the series.
Despite Tanner Roark only going 4+ innings yesterday, the bullpen did an excellent job as they shut out the Dodgers offense for the remainder of the game. They combined to strike out five Dodgers over the final 4.2 innings.
Now, the series shifts to Los Angeles this afternoon for Game 3. It will be interesting to see how these two teams adjust to not having a day off for traveling. But, as Ryan Zimmerman (3-for-7 in the series) put it yesterday, that shouldn’t matter at this point:
Zimmerman on long flight/quick turnaround: ' If you can't get excited to play or if you're tired, then you should just stay here & go home.'
— Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) October 9, 2016
On paper, this is an interesting pitching matchup between Gio Gonzalez for the Washington Nationals and Kenta Maeda for the Dodgers. Gonzalez gets a chance to pitch against a lineup that struggles against lefties. Meanwhile, Maeda gets to face a team he hasn’t faced before.
Before Game 3 starts later this afternoon (4:08 p.m ET, MLB Network), here are three things to look out for that could decide who takes the 2-1 lead in the series.