The main goal in this game was for the players to get their final work completed before the first game of the NLDS on Friday. Bryce Harper went 2-for-4 with a walk and looked like he had his timing in sync which was a welcomed sign. Bryce’s father, Ron Harper, will be pitching to Bryce over the next 4 days to help him see more pitches and further work on his timing. The team will hold work-outs on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and usually has some live pitching. On the unfortunate side, Gio Gonzalez struggled once again, but Dusty Baker said he had been battling the flu. He exited the game giving up 6-runs over 4 1/3 innings and was not in a hugging mood as he exited the mound.
Did Gio just wiggle out of a Dusty hug? @recordsANDradio pic.twitter.com/TImZv4dYpX
— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) October 1, 2017
Everyone looked healthy throughout this game although Michael Taylor was hit on his right hand by an inside pitch.
The fans were fantastic at Nationals Park today and they stayed the full 4 hours and 22 minutes during the longest 9-inning game in Nationals history to clap for players who were substituted out of the game with the loudest applause for Jayson Werth who is set to become a free agent after the season unless an extension can be worked out.
Jayson Werth tips cap, exits game at Nats Park to lots of cheers and hugs. pic.twitter.com/LeCPYYMmw5
— Rudy Gersten (@DCBarno) October 1, 2017
“We had a good season and we are trying to approach a great season,” Dusty Baker said. “How much appreciation the fans in this city has given us. All I hear is about how much excitement and joy we that brought to the city this year from people in the streets. The best is yet to come.”
If you are into milestones, the Nationals are the first team to ever have three 15-game winners with ERA’s below 2.99 and that was accomplished by Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez. The Nationals were also the only team in MLB to have 4 pitchers throw at least 162 innings each as Scherzer, Gonzalez, Roark and Strasburg each exceeded the 162 inning mark with Scherzer and Gonzalez going over 200 innings.
The Nationals had 6 players hit over .300 and they were Daniel Murphy, Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon, Adam Lind, and Howie Kendrick. In addition, the Nationals had 4 players who hit over .300 and hit over 20 home runs. Those players were Murphy, Harper, Zimmerman and Rendon.
