WASHINGTON — For the first time since the Washington Nationals came to D.C. in 2005, they are advancing in the playoffs. The best part of advancing in postseason play? The locker room celebration.
After an electric 4-3 win against the Milwaukee Brewers in a single-elimination Wild Card game, the Nats were ready to party. And party they did with players donning googles in the locker room and spraying one another with champagne and beer.
"It's all for the fans," 20-year-old Juan Soto said. The win came after Soto's eighth-inning, bases-clearing single that scored three runs to put the Nats on top of the Brewers.
Starting pitcher Max Scherzer gave up a two-run home run to Yasmani Grandal in the first inning and another solo homer to Eric Thames in the second to give the Brewers an early 3-0 lead. Stephen Strasburg came in to replace him in the sixth inning and delivered three scoreless innings.
"I've been saying it all year, it's going to take all 25 of us," Strasburg said. "That's all that really matters is us sticking together, and grinding it out."
The Nationals will now take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in a five-game National League Divisional Series. Game one will be played Thursday in Los Angeles starting at 8:37 p.m.
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