The Washington Nationals completed an improbable eighth inning comeback against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2019 NL Wild Card Game to start off this season’s MLB playoffs with a bang.
Trailing 3-1 heading into the eighth inning against All-Star Brewers closer Josh Hader, Washington plated three runs in the penultimate inning of the game to take a 4-3 lead that they would not relinquish.
The Nationals found themselves in an early hole after Brewers catcher Yasmani Grandal hit a first inning two-run home run off of starting pitcher Max Scherzer.
Milwaukee, who miraculously made the playoffs despite an injury to star player Christian Yelich, added another run the next inning to go up 3-0 after Eric Thames crushed another home run off of Scherzer, who pitched 5 innings and gave up three runs.
Washington got a run back when shortstop Trea Turner hit a solo run off of Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff, the only run he allowed in four innings.
Milwaukee turned to Hader after getting scoreless outings from Brent Suter and Drew Pomeranz, and the floodgates opened. A Michael A. Taylor hit by pitch, a Ryan Zimmerman single, and an Anthony Rendon walk loaded the bases for Juan Soto, who came up with a clutch three-run single aided by a Trent Grisham error in right field to send Nationals Park into pandemonium after they took a 4-3 lead.
Daniel Hudson locked down the ninth inning save, and the Washington Nationals will live to fight against the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, starting on Thursday night.
