I don’t know how to explain this win other than to say that the Nationals kept grinding away and got a big splash of luck, too, and the Cardinals were incredibly unlucky and also couldn’t help themselves on what was by far the worst day for the Nats I’ve seen all year. There are no doubt hard feelings for the losers tonight.

Finally, MLB should be ashamed of what it’s doing to the 1st-place teams in both leagues by making them play their first 2 games on the road. If this game had been in DC today (besides the fact it might have been rain delayed), Gio wouldn’t have been too cold to control his pitches, the umps wouldn’t have made the few borderline calls (check-swing and maybe HBP) they did that went against the Nats, the Cards wouldn’t have gotten that extra 3 outs to play with in the 9th, there wouldn’t have been weird shadows all over the field for the first 6 innings, and on and on. This was not a regular away game and in no way can anyone say it’s fair or right for the best team in the NL to have to face the very real possibility it would go home for game 3 down 0-2. This is complete BS and while I know MLB has said it won’t do it again, I think if there was even $1 at stake Selig would do it next year in a heartbeat. Anyway, it, and the even bigger crime of the play-in game, should be held up forever as examples of how to alienate fans.