Another Nationals heartbreak nothing new for Washington sports fans

“It wasn’t our night last night”.

Flight tracking data shows that the United Airlines charter flight departed Washington Dulles airport at 4:07 a.m. ET with Los Angeles International as its destination. “This place has come a long way in seven years”. So, yeah, I love it.

Moving forward, the brightest spot for the Nationals is their 1-2 punch at the top of their starting rotation: Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, who might both finish in the top three of NL Cy Young Award voting.

Kershaw said he hadn’t heard about Maddon’s comments but said it’s “great he thinks that”. If they win a title, it’s probably going to be due to their bullpen.

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished here, obviously”, Werth said early Friday morning. We got together with [club president] Theo [Epstein], [general manager] Jed [Hoyer], and all the coaches, and we’ll decide at that point. “I don’t want to comment on that, really”. But tomorrow’s a big day.

“We came out with a win”.

Prior to the winner-take-all Game 5, the Nats pulled out all the stops, calling on a higher power to bring an extra degree of righteousness to the plate. The previous two didn’t end so well.

The Washington Nationals have given their fans great memories this season, but at the same time, this season should be viewed as a failure. When he returned to the mound again in Game 6 of the 2016 NLCS, he appeared exhausted and vulnerable as the Cubs pounced. “Nothing makes a difference, except for what happens tomorrow”.

“Any time you get to the end of a series like this and you don’t win it”, second baseman Daniel Murphy said, “it feels like a missed opportunity”.

“It’s very disappointing, not to be going to L.A., not go home and see my family and play in Dodgers Stadium and go to the next step”, said Baker, a former Dodgers star who grew up in California. And if we don’t, we’ll lose. Washington has lost in the first round of all four of its playoff appearances since 2012.

And the identity of those pitchers is not yet known for sure. It all went downhill from there in the fifth inning, when manager Dusty Baker chose to pull relief pitcher Matt Albers with a 4-3 lead and go to star ace Max Scherzer on short rest in relief.

“We’re not sure yet”, Baker said.

“I don’t know what that means. Whoever it is, I hope they pitch like Stras did today”. “I am nervous, but hopeful”. He threw 12 pitches in Game 5, allowing one hit, one walk, and retiring two batters.

Lackey, who was 7-3 with a 3.75 ERA in the second half, hasn’t pitched since a one-inning relief appearance in the season finale – hasn’t started since September 7 (six innings, one run allowed). The defending World Series champion Cubs trailed 4-1 before scoring four runs in the fifth inning off two-time Cy Young Award victor Max Scherzer. Saturday would be on two days’ rest, Sunday on three. Join the District on Deck team! This is yet another 97-65 Washington Nationals team that fails to live up to expectations in October. The Cubs eliminated the Dodgers in six games in 2016 on the way to their first World Series title since 1908.

Trea Turner got on base and stole second for the first time this series.

The Nationals know well that they ultimately will be defined by the outcome of tonight’s game. A lack of command was blamed for a string of about five straight starts where he gave up far too many homers and struck out too few.

This year, the tides have changed and the roles have reversed.