Doolittle's talent and attitude invigorate Nationals

Sean Doolittle had a pretty eventful Monday. Hanging out in D.C., Doolittle and girlfriend Eireann Dolan got married. Dolan and Doolittle eloped and now are husband and wife, just in time for the National League Division Series.

We had the afternoon off so we eloped and we've never been happier ✨✨✨ pic.twitter.com/NrVB7Klf3R

-- ScarinDolanBoolittle (@EireannDolan) October 3, 2017

"It was something we had been thinking about for awhile," Doolittle said. "We've been together for five and a half years. We were planning a big wedding in Chicago this offseason and it was a little stressful. So many moving parts, plus you have to plan a wedding, get ready playoffs. We had talked about it for the last couple months. Why can't we just be married? We really have already been married we've been together so long. We had some free time yesterday so we made it official."

Since they had planned for Chicago as the wedding destination, would they then just honeymoon in the Windy City during NLDS Games 3 and 4 (if necessary)?

"That's more of a business trip," Doolittle said. "We are working on some stuff after the season. Maybe not 'til November, December we'll have some free time."

Speaking of that business trip, which begins with Games 1 and 2 at Nationals Park on Friday and Saturday, Doolittle and his teammates went through what looked like a normal day of workouts and batting practice on Tuesday.

"Yeah, that's a good way to describe it," Doolittle said. "It feels routine. It feels like we are getting back to business. We've been waiting for Friday for a long time. It's almost here, so it's starting to get real exciting. It's pretty cool to be here getting ready to go."

Starters go through bullpens like the one Stephen Strasburg threw Tuesday. Hitters concentrate on practice at-bats. Doolittle explained what he will focus on this week as a closer.

"Yeah, I think everybody's different," Doolittle said. "For me, I know what I want to work on. I know what I want to do make sure my body is where I want it to be on Friday, to where I want to be mentally on Friday before the game. I think you just have to have a plan so you're not just going through the motions out there and give yourself the best chance to be prepared."

Doolittle came over to the Nationals with former A's teammate Ryan Madson and Twins reliever Brandon Kintzler as general manager Mike Rizzo looked to rebrand the ailing first-half bullpen. Doolittle said these three amigos don't even think about what it was like prior to their July arrival.

"It's business as usual for us," Doolittle said. "We weren't here for that part of it. All we know is the success that we've had over here and that gives us a lot of confidence going forward. There's enough pressure, there's enough emotion in these playoff games, and for us to be trying to still justify those trades or exorcise demons, stuff like that, that's too many things to think about. I think we feel, as a bullpen, that we really came together at the right time during the season and we had our best months as a bullpen in second half. So we're feeling good about it."

The Nats have been to the postseason three times and three times they have failed to get out of the first round. Doolittle has been in the postseason three years in a row from 2012-2014 with Oakland. Do past Nats' failures affect him on his new team?

"Not really. For me, that's a good thing," Doolittle said. "I think if you're going out there with anything more to prove or with any other motive other than winning that game, other than winning Game 1, then I think it's a distraction. It can be a motivator going in, but once you're in that moment it has to be your total focus.

"So I know it's in the back of people's minds around here, but I also see kind of that laser focus on 2017 Game 1, not thinking too much what's gone on before that."

One thing everyone can agree on is that the Nats appear to be in a much more fortified position with the new three pitchers in the bullpen as they looked to break through in the 2017 playoffs, especially because of the trio's versatility. That seems to be the big strength of this bullpen that looked much different on April 1 than it does on Oct. 4.

More on that versatility in my next segment.

Oh, and belated congratulations to the Doolittle-Dolans!

Eat your heart out Jarrod Saltalamacchia! pic.twitter.com/6dPwpsNjjS

-- Jimmy Donofrio (@JimmyDonofrio) October 3, 2017