Nationals survive Rockies In 6 Gritty, Gut-Wrenching Games.. Next Stop: KPSL World Series

This is long but I hope you find it interesting! ... Nationals vs. Rockies. Jeff vs. Ed for the first time in many playoff years. The Rockies had won the last 6 meetings with the Nationals in the regular season, including a sweep plus a veritable swirlie late in the year that included a no-hitter AND a one-hitter that helped them secure a bye. The Nationals had just endured a heavyweight bout to oust the Giants. Another dogfight awaited.  

It's true. Our guts were thoroughly wrenched by the end of the night (no fault of the delicious pizza Ed provided!). A 15-15 total score. NO Rockies homers after Game 2. Tons of missed diamonds (both), batter strikeouts (Jeff), and terrible defensive rolls (Ed). Two Rockies wins, then four straight by the Nats. 

The biggest edge? In the 8th inning and later, the Nationals scored 8 runs and the Rockies 0. Let's go to the recaps. 

Game 1 - Rockies, 4-2

WP - Glasnow LP - Williams SV - Jimenez

HR - Vientos 2, Adames

Tyler Glasnow is just a beast. The Rockies starter struck out 10 over 7 innings and scattered four singles to quiet the Nats. Mark Vientos crushed two bombs off of Trevor Williams and Willy Adames followed with a solo shot in the 5th as the Rockies built a 4-1 lead and then mostly cruised. This team loves to hit homers! The Nats did bring up Sam Hilliard in the top of the 8th with a chance to tie or go ahead, but Joe Jimenez whiffed him and that was it. 

Game 2 - Rockies, 5-0

WP- Snell LP - Cease 

HR - Olson, Vientos

Welp, Blake Snell is ALSO a beast. He struck out 10 over 6 shutout innings while yielding 7 hits. In the first 2 games, the Nats tallied ONE extra-base hit, a third-inning double by Jared Triolo -- who was then thrown out at home trying to score on a single, which THEN was followed by Tyler O'Neill missing a 1-14 diamond. Nats were down bad. The Rockies scored all 5 runs in the fourth. Matt Olson hit a three-run bomb and there was Vientos with another solo shot. THAT was the LAST home run the Rockies hit in the series. 

Game 3 - Nationals, 4-0 

WP - Ferrer LP - Lowder

HR - Robles, Crow-Armstrong

Back in DC, the Nats took their first win. A second-inning sequence typified the Rockies' defensive issues. Victor Robles reached on a Rhett Lowder error, stole second and third, and came home with two outs on Willy Adames' 2nd error in 2 innings. No hits, one run. Finally, in the fifth, Robles -- who had a great series -- hit a two-run homer and then PCA went back-to-back to chase Lowder. "Jittery Jeff" yanked Spencer Turnbull after only 3 innings and 5 relievers finished it out.

Game 4 - Nationals, 3-2

WP - Law LP - Butto

HR - None

Down 2-0 in the 8th, the Nats had to crawl back to win this one. The Rockies' Michael McGreevy gave up just 4 hits over 6.1 and left with a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the 8th, two walks preceded Robles - again - who delivered an RBI single to cut it to 2-1. Then came the 9th vs. Jose Butto. Jonah Bride singles, Carson Kelly bunts him over, PCA singles, and LaMonte Wade singles to tie it at 2-2. Max Muncy walks to load the bases. INFIELD IN. OUTFIELD IN. Jurickson Profar rolls a 1-7! Flyball B(?) ... Minus-7 with the outfield in! Fortunately PCA was on third ... 1-9 chance to score ... he slides in with the winner. Crowd goes wild. 

Game 5 - Nationals, 3-2

WP - Junis LP - Butto

HR - Bride

Play it again. Down 2-1 in the 8th with a man on, "Jabroni Joe" Jonah Bride won the battle with righty-killer Butto to hit the biggest home run of the Nationals season. The 2-run blast won it for the Nats -- who had no hits into the 6th inning vs. Guess Who, Tyler Glasnow (11 K's in 6). But the pen kept it close after 2 early Rockies runs to enable the comeback (Kirby Yates and Jake Junis went 2 IP each) and then Bride rolled the straight shot off Butto. Whoa. 

Game 6 - Nationals, 3-2, 12 innings

WP - Junis LP - Alvarado

HR - Profar

Just madness. Seiya Suzuki's 12th-inning single (off Vientos on the X chart) scored Robles with the go-ahead run as the Nats rallied AGAIN for the W and the clincher. The Smith brothers (Pavin and Will) drove in single runs for a 2-0 Rockies lead after 4. Snell was lifted after 4.2, and Profar clawed one back on a homer in the 6th off Butto. In the 8th, Robles doubled, PCA sacrificed, and Suzuki doubled to tie it 2-2. Tyler Stephenson MISSED a 1-14 diamond in the top of the 9th (NOTE: both teams missed probably 10 diamonds in this series) and Garrett Mitchell grounded into a double play for the Rockies in the bottom -- on to extras. The Nats blew a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the 11th (K, groundout, K) before the 12th-inning breakthrough. The Rockies got Mitchell to third in the bottom of the 12th but Junis got Fernando Tatis to fly out and end the series. Corks were popped. 

Washington Nationals Punch Their Ticket To The KPSL World Series.