ST. LOUIS - The Champagne celebration won't take place on this road trip.
The Nationals came into today needing only a win or a Braves loss to pop open the bubbly as NL East champions, but they fell behind 5-0 after two innings and 7-0 after three, and then let the Cardinals put up two big tack-on runs in the bottom of the fourth to turn a 7-4 game back into a comfortable five-run lead.
Ross Detwiler gave up seven runs (three of which were earned) over 2 1/3 innings. He struggled in finding...
ST. LOUIS - Given a chance to clinch the division title in his hometown, Ross Detwiler did not bring his A-game to the table.
Detwiler has allowed five runs through two innings, walked four hitters and served up a two-run homer to Carlos Beltran.
The Nationals trail the Cardinals 5-0 after two.
Detwiler pitched a scoreless first inning, but fell apart in the second. He walked the first two hitters he faced, then got an awful break when Danny Espinosa booted a tailor-made 4-6-3 double play...
ST. LOUIS - Ross Detwiler was pretty down on himself after his last start, calling his performance in the Nationals' series-opening loss at Philadelphia "embarrassing."
Detwiler allowed five runs over five innings Tuesday against the Phillies, an outing which you could tell stayed with him in the days afterward.
Today, Detwiler has a chance to atone for that outing by helping the Nationals clinch the NL East, and he has a chance to do it in his hometown in front of dozens of family members...
ST. LOUIS - The Nationals just posted the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Cardinals.
With a win today, Washington will clinch the NL East.
For the Nationals:
Jayson Werth RF
Bryce Harper CF
Ryan Zimmerman 3B
Adam LaRoche 1B
Michael Morse LF
Ian Desmond SS
Danny Espinosa 2B
Kurt Suzuki C
Ross Detwiler P
For the Cardinals:
John Jay CF
Carlos Beltran RF
Matt Holliday LF
Allen Craig 1B
Yadier Molina C
David Freese 3B
Daniel Descalso 2B
Pete Kozma SS
Lance Lynn P
ST. LOUIS - When the Nationals acquired Kurt Suzuki from the Athletics back in early August, they expected him to provide some veteran experience behind the plate, manage the pitching staff and use his strong arm to stop teams from running all over them on the basepaths.
In the minds of General Manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Johnson, any offensive production they got from Suzuki on top of his defensive play was gravy.
The Nationals are getting plenty of gravy. Plates and plates worth of...
ST. LOUIS - Michael Morse has been playing baseball for the bulk of his 30 years on this earth. I think it's fair to say he's never seen anything like what we saw in the first inning of tonight's game, when Morse needed to run the bases backwards and then essentially hit a grand slam without a bat in his hands.
"I think anybody (has)," Morse said with a smile. "That was something different."
If you haven't seen the clip of Morse's grand slam, do yourself a favor and check it out now....
ST. LOUIS - Well this one sure didn't lack excitement.
The Nationals jumped on top of the Cardinals 4-0 in the first inning on the most bizarre grand slam you'll ever see, punctuated by a Michael Morse fake swing. They then allowed three runs in the seventh inning and blew a save in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. Kurt Suzuki followed that just minutes later with a two-out, tie-breaking double off the wall in left-center, and Craig Stammen earned his first career save in the...
ST. LOUIS - The Nationals will not clinch the National League East title tonight, regardless of what happens here at Busch Stadium.
The Braves have just put the finishing touches on a 2-0 win over the Mets down in Atlanta, meaning that even with a win over the Cardinals tonight, the Nationals' magic number will only be cut to one.
They'll have to wait until tomorrow, at the earliest, to wrap up the division title.
The Mets threatened in the ninth against Braves closer Craig Kimbrel, but...
ST. LOUIS - The Nationals lead 4-0 after the top of the first thanks to what is easily one of the strangest scenes I've ever witnessed on a baseball field.
Up with the bases loaded and none out, Michael Morse went with a Kyle Lohse, first-pitch, two-seam fastball and drove it to right. The ball bounced off an advertisement banner just above the right field wall and kicked back on the field.
The guys on the bases for the Nationals all seemed to think the ball was gone and Morse should have...
ST. LOUIS - It's not difficult to keep tabs on the out-of-town scores at here Busch Stadium. They've got an entire big screen dedicated strictly to what's going on around the rest of the majors, so the scores kind of jump out and smack you in the face.
The Nationals will be glancing up at that scoreboard throughout the night tonight, keeping tabs on what's going on down in Atlanta. Should the Mets beat the Braves, and if the Nats win as well, Davey Johnson's team will get to break into...
ST. LOUIS - We should have a good one at Busch Stadium tonight.
Both Jordan Zimmermann and Kyle Lohse, tonight's starting pitchers, rank in the top seven in ERA in the National League going into tonight's game, so we can expect quite the pitchers' duel.
Of course, I said pretty much the same exact thing back on Sept. 1, when these pitchers faced off at Nationals Park.
What happened then? Zimmermann allowed eight runs over 3 2/3 in his worst start of the season, while Lohse gave up eight...
ST. LOUIS - It's not often that a 10-run loss in the heat of a playoff race can be brushed aside so quickly.
Fortunately for the Nationals, they're in a position that allowed last night's 12-2 loss to the Cardinals to be put in the rear-view mirror as soon as they walked out of Busch Stadium.
Yes, they got whooped up on to the point that they'd essentially thrown in the towel in the fifth inning. It wasn't the prettiest game of the season, that's for sure.
But thanks to the New York...
ST. LOUIS - Edwin Jackson, much like Ross Detwiler a few nights ago, put full blame on himself for his sub-par outing in the Nationals' 12-2 loss.
"Today's game was just very disappointing and embarrassing," Jackson said after allowing nine runs in 1 1/3 innings. "When your club is in a pennant race and you have a game like that, it definitely leaves a bitter taste in your mouth that you did absolutely nothing to give your team a chance to win."
What was the major issue tonight? You...
ST. LOUIS - Edwin Jackson has been very, very good at times this season.
Tonight was not one of those times.
The Nationals' righty went just 1 1/3 innings tonight, allowing nine runs (eight earned). He gave up six hits, walked four and got only one swing-and-miss all night, which is incredibly low for a power pitcher who usually has no problem missing bats.
Manager Davey Johnson tried to give Jackson a chance to pitch out of trouble and eat up innings, but it just wasn't happening. He had...
ST. LOUIS - Davey Johnson has waved the white flag tonight, emptying his bench with the Nationals trailing 9-1 in the middle innings.
But even with the blowout here in St. Louis, the Nats still can clinch the NL East title tomorrow night, thanks to the Mets.
The Braves lost to the Mets 3-1 tonight, cutting the Nationals' magic number to two. A Nats win and a Braves loss tomorrow, and the division title belongs to Washington.
See, you got something positive out of tonight.
For what it's...
ST. LOUIS - It's safe to say this is not how Edwin Jackson envisioned his return to St. Louis going.
Facing the team he helped to a World Series title last season, Jackson went just 1 1/3 innings tonight, allowing nine runs (eight earned) on seven hits. He walked four and struck out none, and leaves with the Nationals trailing 9-1.
Those of you who were still wrapping up dinner during the early innings, you missed a bit of action.
It was clear from the start that Jackson just wasn't there....
ST. LOUIS - It's hard to believe - from my perspective, at least - but tomorrow will mark the start of the last regular season turn through the Nationals' rotation.
Jordan Zimmermann will take the ball for the Nats tomorrow and then not pitch again until the postseason. As I mentioned earlier, the rotation alignment for the final four games of the regular season will depend on when the Nationals are able to clinch the division title.
Manager Davey Johnson will have options when it comes to...
ST. LOUIS - Hello from good old Missouri, and more specifically, the press box at Busch Stadium.
The Gateway Arch is currently staring me right in the face as I look out on this field for the first time in person. It's a nice park, and I'm looking forward to experiencing the St. Louis baseball atmosphere I've heard so much about.
And I'm serious when I say I've heard a ton about how great the in-game environment is here. These St. Louis fans better step their game up tonight and make...
PHILADELPHIA - Three down, three to go.
The Nationals are half-way through their final road trip of the season, and after a few days in Philly, it's off to St. Louis for three games against a Cardinals team trying to lock up the NL's final Wild Card spot.
The earliest the Nationals can now clinch the division is Saturday. You won't find anyone in the clubhouse looking past tonight's game, but after what the Nats accomplished in Philadelphia, they've set themselves up to close this thing...
PHILADELPHIA - The play of tonight's game, in the eyes of the Nationals' relievers, at least, was not Danny Espinosa's over-the-shoulder sliding catch of a John Mayberry pop up, Ryan Zimmerman's running, off-balance throw to get Chase Utley in the fifth or Michael Morse's laser beam home run in the sixth.
It was actually Tom Gorzelanny's catch of Morse's second home run of the night, which landed in the Nationals' bullpen.
Gorzelanny saw the ball coming down into the bullpen, took off...