Moving on from the marathon

SAN FRANCISCO - Postseason losses can be tough to deal with. Postseason losses in 18-inning games can be brutal. Postseason losses that put you down 0-2 in a five-game series can be torturous. But the Nationals say they're moving on from last night's 2-1 loss to the Giants, a loss that left them another defeat away from elimination. They hopped on busses for the airport after 1:30 a.m. on the east coast, boarded their cross-country flight to San Francisco and arrived around 5:30 a.m. Pacific time. They got a few hours of sleep, then turned the page. "Nobody said anything," Denard Span said, when asked how guys responded after the loss. "It was a quiet bus trip after the game. Just frustration, exhausted. Nothing needs to be said. We all know what we have to do. I think you guys have asked me this before at other turning points in the season: did somebody have a speech? We don't need speeches. "I think each one of us individually knows what we need to do in order to be successful. I think it's just something you have to have within yourself. You have to pep-talk yourself and just be ready to go." Today, most of the Nats' roster showed up at AT&T Park for an optional team workout. Players took BP, fielded grounders, shagged fly balls and went through their normal routine. It was a loose atmosphere on the field and in the clubhouse, even given the situation that lies ahead. "They're fine," Matt Williams said. "Last night's flight was a long one, but there was a lot of conversation going. Guys were talking about the previous two games and what we must do to get back in this thing and win tomorrow. So it's normal, as it would be in any situation. "There was a time we got swept this last summer and the same thing happened. So they don't panic, for sure. So that's a good thing. They are all getting together. They are all ready to go today, and we'll be ready to go tomorrow, as well." In the history of the five-game series in Major League Baseball, 68 teams have gone down 0-2 in the series. Eight of those teams have come back to win. It happened as recently as 2012, when these Giants dropped the first two games of their Division Series against the Reds, both of which were at AT&T Park. They then needed to win the next three on the road at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati (because of a scheduling quirk, the team with home-field advantage opened on the road that year, as the Nats did), and that's exactly what happened. The Giants rattled off three straight wins on the road, won the series, and then went on to win the World Series, as well. The Nats might not know those particular details. But they do know a comeback can happen, as long as they play their game. And that's why they went about things today just like they normally would, trying to get ready for Game 3 tomorrow. "Coming to the workout today, everybody's loose, having fun," hitting coach Rick Schu said. "It's baseball. You win, you win. You lose, you lose. It's been a great year. Hopefully we keep winning and get to have some champagne again. It's do or die. We've been there before. All year, we've come from behind to win games. Hopefully we can keep going."