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the citizens needed to win today, quite simply. It does not matter who they were playing. It did not matter who was on the mound for one or the other of the teams. It did not matter how they felt physically or emotionally as they made their way through a last, particularly trying part of their schedule.
After dropping out of the first two games of this series and losing 8 times out of 12 to see their once-comfortable lead in the lost card race become very uncomfortable, the Nationals simply needed to find a way to defeat the Braves this afternoon. midday. .
They did, thoroughly and convincingly behind a jewel of Aníbal Sánchez and a well-balanced offensive attack that included several impressive bat strikes against a southpaw who had dropped them a week ago.
In addition, Davey Martinez has not participated in the canoe for the last three rounds, for reasons that are not immediately obvious.
With this 7-0 victory over Atlanta, the nationals at least assured that no one would gain ground on them in the standings. And they could well come out of the day after extending their lead over the Brewers for a spot in the wild card game at 3 1/2 games.
They did it despite the disappearance of their manager in the game. Martinez was in the dugout until about the sixth inning, after which he was no longer seen by the public. We could see the bench coach, Chip Hale, assume the task management. At one point, he was walking the field between the sleeves to speak to the marble umpire, Bill Welke, without changing his composition.
Martinez was moved by 24 hours of moving criticism for his management of Saturday 's 10-1 defeat, both his wide – ranging decisions and his refereeing team' s request to verify if the Braves' utility, Charlie Culberson, was always offered to Fernando Rodney's seventh inning as the ball hit him in the face as he attempted to undo.
The management's situation approached at the end of a flawless match for the Nationals, who had an impressive new start to Sánchez when they needed it.
The right-handed veteran pitched seven scoreless innings, scattering three hits and never giving chance to a terrific lineup of Braves to kick off. He left the field after throwing 109 launches over a total distance of 29,350, as well as a lot of handshakes and high-five in the dugout.
Sánchez thus continued his mastery of fierce opponents. In nine starts this season against the Braves, Dodgers, Cubs and Twins, he posted a total of 2.91.
Sánchez had the considerable support of a Nationals team that eliminated Max Fried just one week after the southpaw left Atlanta with one of the best pitcher performances of the season by an opposing starter.
The Nationals had a great success Yan Gomes (single to two innings in the second) and Howie Kendrick (single in the third inning) to take the lead and knock out Fried after just 2 1/3 inning.
Kendrick will add a fifth-place finish to fifth base, beating his batting average for the season at 337 to go with 15 home runs and 60 RBIs.
Got a comfortable lead, relievers Hunter Strickland and Sean Doolittle then close the victory in the eighth and ninth.
The Nats are now heading to St. Louis for a tough run with the Cardinals, leaders in the center of the NL. Once again, they will have to find a way to win games and maintain their position at the top of the rankings.
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