District On Deck
FanSided

Washington Nationals: What To Watch For In Game 5 Of NLDS

By Ricky Keeler

Oct 7, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning during game one of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 7, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning during game one of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 7
Next
Washington Nationals
Oct 11, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy (20) drives in two runs with a single in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Daniel Murphy’s Playoff Heroics

Murphy hasn’t hit a home run during this series after he hit three against the Dodgers with the Mets in last year’s NLDS. With that being said, the Washington Nationals second baseman has continued his success against the Dodgers this October.

In the first four games, Murphy is 6-for-13 with six RBI’s and he hasn’t even had an extra-base hit yet. Tuesday afternoon, he had four RBI’s, including the game-tying two-run single against Luis Avilan in the top of the seventh. With Hill likely the starter, Murphy should be hitting cleanup tonight.

Last season, Murphy had a great game 5 at Dodger Stadium to help the Mets secure the road win. He went 3-for-4 with two RBI’s. He had a RBI double in the first, showed great baserunning in taking third due to the shift and scored in the fourth, and he had the game winning home run off Zack Greinke in the sixth.

In a winner take all situation, Roberts should be looking to get any left-handed pitcher against Murphy. But, at the same time, Murphy is 6-for-10 and has all six RBI’s against the Dodgers left-handers. Back in Game 2, he had RBI singles against a pair of lefties (Hill and Grant Dayton).

While Murphy hasn’t gone on the home run streak he did last October, he still remains a threat in the postseason and should be the hitter Nats fans trust in a key situation with men in scoring positon (4-for-7, six RBI’s). If Murphy has a big game tonight, the Washington Nationals should be on their way to Chicago, a place where Murphy played well in last year’s NLCS.

Home/Nationals News