Tonight, the Washington Nationals play in a game with the potential to win the first playoff series in the history of the franchise. As a kid from Northern Virginia who has been tortured by the Nats and Caps for most of my life, the time is now to exorcise the demons from our Nation’s Capital.

You may be wondering why I didn’t mention the Wizards or the R-words and that is because I absolutely despise the NBA and luckily my mother raised me an Eagles fan, but that is a story for another time.

Anyways, back to my rant. People across the country (Barnes) may call us a “doormat sports city” or whatever, but I beg to differ. We’re simply a city that is absolutely starved for success and these last two years have been arguably our best shot.

A team that started the year 19-31 with an incompetent manager and bullpen has relied on the $500M they dumped into the rotation, and a lineup that learned how to hit the baseball in late May. The turnaround led to a 93-69 finish and hosting the Wild Card Game highlighted by the biggest moment of Juan Soto’s (he’s 20 btw) short career. Pretty remarkable and VERY un-DC like if you ask me.

We got written off before the Dodgers series even started, but stealing one in LA and coming back after hopefully punting Patrick Corbin into the sun to have Mad Max absolutely shove and Mr. National Ryan Zimmerman blast a 3-run bomb deep into the night put us in the spot we’re in tonight.

Realistically, we still have a very uphill battle against Walker Buehler, a guy that I consider the best young pitcher in baseball, but there’s no one I want on the hill for the boys in red and blue than Stephen Strasburg who is 3-2 with a 0.64 ERA in his postseason career, including a gem in Game 2 over the weekend.

If the season does manage to come to a close for the Cardiac Nats tonight, I will be filled with a very familiar deep sadness that comes with the almost automatic loss that comes in Game 5’s (three since 2012). Not just because of another heart-wrenching loss, but because of the impending free agency of MY MVP Anthony Rendon and the player option for Strasburg.

Losing Bryce Harper was one thing for me as I knew it was going to happen, but if we get ourselves into the same spot two years in a row and end up losing Rendon, the Lerner’s need to sell the team and I will go on strike outside the stadium until it happens, but for now, I digress.

They tell you not to bet with your heart, but that’s exactly what I’m doing tonight because I need this so bad. Tonight is all about the Nats and I will leave you with this hype video and offer you the final chance to hop on the money line at +160. Get it while its hot, and godspeed.

 

Rudy
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