Why a division title should still be the Nationals' goal

The most telling quote to come out of the Nationals' clubhouse after Tuesday night's 2-0 loss from the Orioles wasn't about the surprising lack of offense from a lineup that had been unstoppable all last week. It wasn't about Patrick Corbin's rough first inning but strong bounce back after that. It wasn't about the squandered eighth inning rally. And it certainly wasn't the same line that was uttered by four different people to describe this strange loss: "That's baseball."

No, the most telling quote took the result of Tuesday's game and elevated it into the context of the bigger picture. It came from Corbin, who usually isn't one to make any grand statements or look beyond that particular night's contest.

Corbin was asked if it was surprising his red-hot teammates were shut out by a less-than-dominant Orioles pitching staff.

"Yeah, for sure," the lefty said. "But that's why I think winning your division is so important. If you've got one game, anything can happen."

Truer words haven't been spoken all season long. And if you weren't already nervous about the possibility of the National League wild card game, this should serve as a cold dose of reality.

There's a reason Major League Baseball went to this format in 2012. Yes, it liked the spectacle and drama of a winner-take-all game in each league to open the postseason. But it also wanted to offer up more of a reward to division winners than it did under the old playoff format.

From 1995-2011, the one wild card team from each league really wasn't at much of a disadvantage. They had to face the league's No. 1 seed, and without home-field advantage, but they still got to play the same five-game series as everyone else. And a lot of them went on to win not only that first round matchup but more after that.

It doesn't work that way anymore. If you don't win your division, you are relegated to the equivalent of a season-ending tiebreaker game. It might as well be called Game 163. Win, and you get to move on and face the No. 1 seed in the best-of-five Division Series. Lose, and you're done. Just like that.

This is especially dangerous for teams that win the top wild card seed by a healthy margin. It doesn't matter in the end how many games ahead of the second wild card you are. You just get the right to host a do-or-die game.

Which is exactly the position the Nationals are staring at right now.

As admirable as their sustained run - now 54-27 over half a season - has been, it hasn't been enough to lift them above the Braves. Or even to the Braves' heels. Atlanta, which has lost two in a row after winning eight in a row, still holds a 5 1/2-game lead in the NL East.

The Nationals do still hold a comfortable position atop the wild card standings. They're three games up on the Cubs, currently in the second position. They're five games up on the Phillies, currently the first team on the outside looking in.

It's a good position to be in. But all it guarantees in the end is the right to host a winner-take-all game on Oct. 1. Yes, the Nationals would like their chances with Max Scherzer or Stephen Strasburg on the mound. But there's still no guarantee of victory. Anything can happen in a one-game playoff, as this franchise and its fans know all too well.

That's why Corbin's quote was so telling. The odds may be stacked against them catching the Braves and winning the division, but the Nationals aren't conceding it. They can't afford to.

Four-plus months of outstanding baseball could be wiped out with nine bad innings of baseball on the first night of October. (Or, shoot, one bad inning, as we've seen before.)

If the Nationals survive the wild card game and advance to the NLDS, they'd have a legitimate shot at beating the Dodgers in a five-game series. They'd be underdogs, but if they're healthy and still playing like they are right now, they'd have a legitimate shot.

Problem is, they aren't assured of ever getting to that point. Not unless they win the NL East.

Had they simply beaten the Orioles on Tuesday, the Nationals would be 4 1/2 games back of the Braves, only three games back in the loss column. Still trailing, but slowly gaining on the division leaders.

Instead, they wake up this morning and they're still 5 1/2 back (four in the loss column), with one fewer day remaining on the calendar.

Winning the division is still an important goal for this team. They all realize it. Corbin was merely the one to vocalize it Tuesday night.