Harper and Cabrera crank homers, but Giants win 3-2

Game 1 of the National League Division series is under way in Washington, D.C. It is only the fourth home playoff game in the nation's capital since 1933.

Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg induced three flyouts to begin the game.

Giants right-hander Jake Peavy walked Jayson Werth with two outs in the bottom of the first. He was the first baserunner for either team. But Adam LaRoche struck out to end the inning.

Update: Peavy has managed to get swinging strikeouts to end the first two innings and has not allowed a base hit, but has thrown 40 pitches and surrendered a pair of walks. Strasburg has thrown 25 pitches and has one strikeout.

No score through two innings.

Update II: The Giants' Travis Ishikawa led off the third with a base hit. Peavy's sacrifice to LaRoche was called a forceout at second, but after a manager's request for replay review, the play was overturned. Ishikawa was safe at second. The delay was 61 seconds.

With one out, a passed ball by Wilson Ramos put runners and second and third. Joe Panik's RBI single gave the Giants the first run of the series and the lead, 1-0.

Buster Posey grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning. The Giants lead 1-0 heading to bottom of the third.

Update III: Brandon Belt is having a great start to his postseason. He went 2-for-3 with two walks and three RBIs in the Giants 8-0 win over the Pirates on Wednesday.

On Friday, Belt added a run-scoring single in the fourth and the Giants lead the Nationals 2-0.

Anthony Rendon has had a very crisp start defensively. He started a 5-4-3 double play to end the third and finished off the fourth with a diving grab of a Peavy hot shot near third and throughout the base runner at second.

Peavy has not allowed a hit through three innings.

Update IV: Strasburg goes five-plus innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on eight hits, with one walk, one hit batter and two strikeouts. He tossed 89 pitches, 58 for strikes. He got into more trouble to start the fifth, surrendering back-to-back hits to Belt and Brandon Crawford.

Belt is now 4-for-6 with four RBIs this postseason.

Jerry Blevins relieved and managed to record three straight outs, including a strikeout.

Giants have scored two runs on seven hits but have left six men on base the last four innings.

Heading to the bottom of the sixth, the Giants lead 2-0.

Update V: Nate Schierholtz doubled to start the sixth. The Nationals eventually loaded the bases, but Ian Desmond struck out against reliever Hunter Strickland to end their best threat so far today. The Giants lead 2-0 after six innings.

Update VI: Panik led off the seventh with a triple against Craig Stammen. Posey brought him home with a single and the Giants lead 3-0.

Update VII: Facing Hunter Strickland in the seventh, Harper and Asdrubal Cabrera crushed solo home runs to right field, cutting the Giants' lead to 3-2, sending Nationals Park into a frenzy.

After seven complete, the Giants are clinging to a 3-2 advantage.

Update VIII: Giants closer Santiago Casilla got three outs in the ninth for the save.

Pinch-hitter Danny Espinosa grounded out to second to end the game.

The Giants beat the Nationals 3-2. San Francisco leads the best-of-five series, one game to none.