Best of the Decade: Jayson Werth's epic Game 4 walk-off homer

As the Nationals celebrate 10 seasons in Washington, D.C., we reflect on some of the best moments since the franchise moved to the nation's capital. Each Wednesday through mid-August, check out Nationals Pastime for a remembrance of one of the watershed moments in Nationals history.

Jayson Werth's arrival in D.C. late in 2010 was not unanimously approved. Many debated the seven-year, $126 million contract given to a 31-year-old who had only once been in an All-Star.

Almost two years later, in the early evening of Oct. 11, 2012, nobody in the nation's capital was questioning Werth.

The Nationals entered the Game 4 of the National League Division Series trailing the Cardinals two games to one and playing for their postseason lives. Adam LaRoche gave the Nats an early lead with a solo homer in the second. But the Cardinals answered right back, plating a run in the third. The game remained deadlocked there as both offenses were stymied.

Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler was sensational, allowing just the one run on three hits in six innings. Manager Davey Johnson called on starter Jordan Zimmermann out of the bullpen in the seventh and the right-hander responded by striking out the side.

Tyler Clippard issued a walk in the eighth before fanning the side, as well. And closer Drew Storen whiffed the first two Cardinals he faced in the ninth to give the Nationals relievers eight consecutive outs by strikeouts. After Storen walked Pete Kozma, Ian Desmond made an acrobatic catch on Matt Carpenter's flare to shallow left to end the frame.

"Let's go win the ballgame," Desmond told reporters of his immediate thoughts after the catch.

That was Werth's plan as he stepped in to start the bottom of ninth facing burly Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn. Werth, the nine-year veteran, was no stranger to postseason drama. A large part of the reason Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo inked him to the deal to come to D.C. was due to Werth's playoff experience. He had smacked 13 homers in 44 postseason games, which included winning a World Series with the Phillies in 2008.

What happened next was an epic 13-pitch battle which left Werth forever etched with legendary status in Nationals history.

"Really, I need to go back and watch the whole thing, watch the whole at-bat, and see exactly what went on," Werth told reporters after the game. "I don't even remember it. It's almost like I blacked out. It was like a Will Ferrell moment."

The hard-throwing Lynn pumped two blazing fastballs past Werth to jump ahead 0-2 in the blink of an eye.

"It felt like I got to two strikes pretty quick," Werth recalled to reporters.

Werth then showed patience, laying off a curveball in the dirt and a 96 mph heater that sailed high to even the count. The wily veteran proceeded to waste Lynn's next six pitches, fouling each into the stands.

After a series of 97 mph fastballs, Lynn went back to the curve but Werth stayed away and home plate umpire Jim Joyce called the bender just low and outside for ball three. With the count full, Werth knocked the 12th pitch back out of play.

"I remember looking up there (at the scoreboard), and I think it said 12 pitches," Werth told reporters. "How long was that at-bat anyway? Thirteen? So it was right before the last pitch. I looked up at the pitch count, and it said 12. And I said, 'Is that right?' I had to really study the board to make sure that was correct."

Lynn and Werth squared off with the at-bat reaching six minutes a dozen pitches in. The electricity flowed through the capacity crowd chanting "Let's Go Nats" as Werth dug his spikes in the batter's box.

Lynn challenged with another 96 mph heater and Werth ripped it. The missile went soaring through the air, slamming off the back wall of the Cardinals bullpen for a walk-off homer sending 44,392 fans into a frenzy at Nationals Park, knowing they were coming back 24 hours later for a deciding Game 5.

Werth sailed around the bases, pointing out to his legion of fans in right field as he rounded first base and then tossing his helmet sky-high just before leaping to the plate into a sea of his teammates.

"I love October baseball," Werth said to reporters. "Now, we get to play tomorrow. And that's the best part."

* Miss any of the memorable moments we're highlighting from Nationals history? Here's the list to date:

No. 10: 10-game winning streaks in 2005, 2014
No. 9: Mr. Walk-Off started it all on Father's Day 2006
No. 8: Nationals return to the postseason in 2014
No. 7: Zimmerman's walk-off welcomes Nats to new home
No. 6: Zimmermann's no-hitter to end 2014 regular season
No. 5: Nationals draft Bryce Harper
No. 4: Nationals clinch first playoff birth, win NL East in 2012
No. 3: Baseball finally returns to D.C.
No. 2: Stephen Strasburg's electrifying debut