WASHINGTON (AP) – Stephen Strasburg took his turn silencing the Cardinals’
struggling bats, Nationals postseason star Howie Kendrick doubled three times
and drove in three more runs, and Washington moved one win from the city’s first
World Series appearance in 86 years by beating St. Louis 8-1 Monday night to
take a 3-0 lead in the NL Championship Series.
After Nationals starters Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer flirted with
no-hitters in the first two games of the best-of-seven series, Strasburg wasn’t
quite that untouchable: He allowed a double in the second inning, six later
singles and one unearned run. Still, he was rather dominant for much of his
seven innings, striking out 12 batters and finishing off each one with an
off-speed pitch.
The Cardinals, quite simply, can’t hit in this NLCS: They have a grand total of
two runs and 11 hits through three games. Washington’s three starters have a
combined ERA , no calculator necessary for this one, of 0.00.
Yes, that’s zero-point-zero-zero.
Now it’s Patrick Corbin’s chance to see if he can match his rotation-mates. The
$140 million lefty will start for the Nationals in Game 4 on Tuesday night, when
they can close out a sweep at home. Rookie right-hander Dakota Hudson will be on
the mound for the Cardinals.
Game time Tuesday night is 7:05, with the pre-game at 6:10 on KTLO-AM.
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