2017 Washington Nationals vs 2011 Washington Nationals
The 2011 Nationals pulled off the only upset in the opening round. Can they make it two in a row?
In game one, the 2011 Nats stole home-field advantage away with a crazy finish. The 2011 Nats scored the go-ahead run in the ninth inning after Sean Doolittle’s (’17) wild pitch allowed Roger Bernadina (’11) to score from third base.
In game three, the 2011 Nats held their home field advantage. Livan Hernandez (’11) threw eight innings of five-hit, three strikeout ball in the win.
After game three, however, the 2017 Nationals showed everybody who’s boss. Down 2-1 in the series, the 2017 Nats beat the 2011 Nats 10-1, 16-6, and 2-1, crushing any hopes of a Cinderella story.
While quarter-finals MVP Bryce Harper (’17) regressed heavily back down to Earth, Daniel Murphy (’17) and Michael A. Taylor (’17) shouldered the offensive load. Those two combined to hit .489 and drove in 18 runs in this semi-final.
This sets up a final matchup between the two most recent Nationals team. The 2016 and 2017 Nationals are set to duel in the finals to determine which is the best Nationals team to date!