
Rematch of last year’s NLDS
The Nats and Dodgers have a bit of history, as the two teams faced each other in the National League Division Series just a year ago. Neither team had enjoyed much postseason success, but that would end for one of them.
Unfortunately, it was the Dodgers whose poor luck ran out. The Nats and Dodgers fought hard and it made for a great series, but the Dodgers ended up winning the series in five games.
Sticking with the theme of a poor postseason track record, Clayton Kershaw had always struggled in the postseason, even appearing human. For whatever reason, his postseason demons left him for the series and he absolutely dominated the Nats.
Kershaw’s unbelievable series peaked in game five, when he came out for his first major league save, just two days after throwing 110 pitches. His luck, however, eventually ran out. In the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs, Kershaw was tasked with pitching game six and forcing a game seven, but he could not get the job done. He lasted just five innings and allowed five runs, being handed the loss in the Dodgers’ final game of 2016.
While the Nats lost the series, there were several positives. Jose Lobaton and Chris Heisey, two bench players, both hit enormous home runs to put the Nats in a good position to win. Trea Turner, Jayson Werth, Daniel Murphy, and Ryan Zimmerman all also had outstanding performances throughout the series.
In the end, the Nats came up just short, but have a chance for revenge this weekend when the Dodgers return to DC. This will definitely be worth keeping an eye on throughout the weekend.