The big moment defensively for the Nationals in Tuesday's divisional matchup with the Marlinscame in the top of the seventh.
The Nats were clinging to a 5-2 lead, but the Marlins started the inning with two singles off starter Edwin Jackson. Dee Gordon sacrificed back to Jackson, whose throw to Ryan Zimmerman at first base was off line, allowing a run to score. Suddenly, the Nats' lead was cut to 5-3.
Jackson intentionally walked the dangerous Giancarlo Stanton, who had already connected with home run No. 51 in his first at-bat of the game.
With the bases loaded, manager Dusty Baker called on left-hander Oliver Pérez to face Christian Yelich with the bases loaded and no one out.
Pérez managed to get Yelich to send a grounder to third baseman Anthony Rendon, who threw home to Matt Wieters to force Ichiro at the plate for the first out.
Right-hander Matt Albers was then summoned and was able to strike out Marcell Ozuna looking and then get J.T. Realmuto on a groundout to shortstop to end the threat. Albers came off the mound exuberantly pumping his fist into his glove as the crowd erupted.
The Nats added a three-run double by Rendon in the bottom of the inning to essentially put the game away, going on to an 8-2 win.
Shortstop Trea Turner, playing his first game since June 29, got pumped up watching Pérez and Albers solve the Marlins bats in a difficult spot.
"I don't know if it's because I've been out for a long time, but it kind of felt a little bit like playoff baseball right there," Turner said. "Guys were fired up, and that's good to see. Getting big outs at the end of games, or even the middle of games, are kind of where the turning parts are.
"It's nice to see those guys come in there and get the guys out they're supposed to get out. Oliver's got one chance at it, and that's hard to do. If anything goes the other way, something else can happen. But he did a good job there and has done it all year. It was nice to see that."
Albers has dropped his ERA to 1.74 with his ninth hold of the season. He has not allowed a run in 44 of his 52 appearances. During the run, he has recorded 56 strikeouts.
"It's amazing, it was huge," said Rendon. "That was probably the turning point in the game. Obviously, we had a lead, but one swing of the bat, one pitch or whatever, it could easily be gone. So those guys stepped up they've been stepping up all year, and it's just awesome to see them continue their success."
Manager Dusty Baker said the work by Pérez and Albers in the seventh inning was the talk of postgame before he walked into speak with the media.
"Oh, yeah, we were just discussing that ... just how good those guys have been," Baker said. "They've been awesome and, man, they got some huge outs there. Big outs. Because those guys are capable of a big inning, especially when you got those guys coming up in Yelich and Ozuna.
"That worked out to our advantage a little bit because we didn't have to pitch to Stanton because he threw the ball wildly to first. It gave us an opportunity not to pitch to him and to walk him. It wasn't planned like that. ... That was awesome."
Said Albers: "It was great. Obviously, there was three guys out there. Anytime I can come in and kind of save runs, it's a great feeling. Knowing right there that was the middle of their lineup with the bases loaded, if we can get out of that, obviously our offense is really good. But that's a big spot in that game."
Albers was impressed with Pérez, who notched a big out with bases loaded. Rendon's throw to Wieters kept the score 5-3.
"It was nice," Albers said of Pérez's work. "Ollie came in with bases loaded, no outs. That's huge for him to get that one out there. That takes a little pressure of me knowing that I'm a ground ball away from getting out of inning - or a sac fly and out away from getting out of it, as well. He comes in there - bases loaded no outs - it's not easy and gets a big out. I fortunately came in and got a couple outs."
It has not been an easy week for Albers, as he has watched the floods caused by Hurricane Harvey ravage his hometown of Houston, displacing thousands of families from their homes. He has been in constant contact with his wife, Tara, who is expecting their second child in about a month. Playing baseball has allowed him to get away from the anxiety and worry he and his family have had to deal with over the past three days.
"Yeah, it's kind of like a safe haven," Albers said of baseball. "It's easy to get your mind off it when you're on the field, in between that, in the bullpen and talking on the phone. These last few days have been a little better, but with that doubleheader day talking with my wife right before the game and when she came back today."
Albers focused on baseball, but also kept tabs on what was happening in Houston.
"That was tough just kind of looking at my phone, checking my phone, coming in here," Albers said. "Not sure I'm supposed to say that, though. It's a good way to get away from it, but our hearts are still with the people back in Houston."