Washington Nationals: One Last Look Back At 2016

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Apr 24, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals center fielder Chris Heisey (14) gets a bucket of ice water dumped on him by Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) while being interviewed by MASN reporter Dan Kolko (L) after hitting a walk-off home run against the Minnesota Twins in the sixteenth inning at Nationals Park. The National won 5-4 in sixteen innings. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

16-Inning Marathon Against Minnesota

There were many great Nationals games in 2016, but the 6-5 win over the Twins was the mother of them all. In fact, Dusty Baker himself called the April 24th game, the “craziest game he’s ever seen.”

The game had more than its fair share of ups and downs, including a leadoff homerun from Matt den Dekker and a pinch-hit homerun from Bryce Harper in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.

The winning moment might have never happened if not for a surprise bunt from Oliver Perez in the 15th inning which allowed Danny Espinosa to get the tying score and keep the game alive.

By the time Chris Heisey walked up to the plate in the bottom of the 16th, the fans had already been sitting through what would be the longest game in team history. Heisey’s blast to centerfield was the first walk-off for the Nationals in 2016 and sealed a hard-fought win that really set the tone for Dusty Baker’s Washington Nationals.

There was a never-say-die spirit to the game and you could sense that the players were really enjoying the game – a vibe that was missing in the previous two or three seasons. After this epic win, it felt like the sky was the limit for the 2016 Washington Nationals.

Batting second is Robbie Stratakos, who talks about the National League clinching win in Pittsburgh back on September 24:

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