It was Ryan Zimmerman who played the role of hero Saturday, but it was Bryce Harper who made it possible.
Harper breathed life into an offense that had scored one run in its first 18 innings of postseason baseball, socking a game-tying, two-run home run in the eighth inning that set up Zimmerman's later heroics in the Nationals' 6-3 win over the Cubs Saturday in Game 2 of the NLDS.
“I saw the loop in it," Harper said of a curve ball from Cubs reliever C.J. Edwards, “and I tried to hit it as far as I could."
With one swing, he changed the trajectory of the game and possibly the series. Before that, the Nationals had been able to muster just one run through the better part of two games, an Anthony Rendon solo homer in the first inning of Saturday's game. Kyle Hendricks and company shut out the Nats in Friday night's Game 1.
With new life, the Nats didn't stop at Harper's homer. A walk and a single later, Zimmerman stepped to the plate against Mike Montgomery and lifted a pitch high in the air to left field. Ben Zobrist tracked the fly ball all the way to the wall, then lifted his glove as the ball landed just over the wall for a three-run homer.
Nationals closer Sean Doolittle worked around a one-out walk to earn the save in the ninth inning.
The late offense spoiled a very strong start by Cubs ace Jon Lester, who allowed just one run on two hits over his six innings. On the other side, Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez allowed three runs over five innings of work, settling for a no-decision.
For the Cubs, Willson Contreras and Anthony Rizzo hit solo and two-run homers, respectively, to provide the offense in the game.
Dodgers Pound Out Game 2 Win
If there's one statistic that might surprise about the Diamondbacks, it's that the team owned the second-best ERA in the National League this year.
One watching the first two games of their series against the Dodgers would most certainly be surprised.
After allowing nine runs in a Game 1 loss, Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray and the embattled bullpen yielded eight more in a loss to the Dodgers in Saturday's Game 2.
Ray actually held the Dodgers hitless through three innings -- despite allowing a run in the second -- but things went south with a pair of runs in the fourth. Four more runs in the fifth, including three allowed by D'backs reliever Jimmie Sherfy without recording an out, gave the Dodgers a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
On the other side, the Los Angeles club got four mediocre innings from Rich Hill before using six relievers to cover the final five innings. Closer Kenley Jansen got five outs to end it.
Three of the four Divisional Round series feature teams facing the prospect of needing to win out to advance, but none arguably have it worse than the Diamondbacks. Even if they can manage to win both home games, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw looms for a possible Game 5 back in LA.
Not many teams have the luxury of replacing one former All-Star with another, but that's the situation the Indians may face ahead of Sunday's Game 3.
Brantley To DH For Tribe In Game 3?
With designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion coping with an ankle injury, Michael Brantley, who only recently returned from an ankle injury of his own, could be called on to fill in against the Yankees and Luis Severino on Sunday.
"It just kind of makes it easy," Indians manager Terry Francona said Saturday. "If you have a choice to make, and you have an open slot at DH, it just seems common sense to put (Brantley) there."
Brantley was also turned to Friday after Encarnacion hurt his ankle in the first inning. Brantley went 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts in the extra-innings win.
He injured the ankle on August 8 and made it back with days to spare in the regular season, appearing in two games before season's end. Brantley appeared in 90 games on the year, batting .299/.357/.444 during the regular season.
Quick Hits: Red Sox manager John Farrell said Saturday that Mookie Betts (wrist) is expected to play in Game 3 of the ALDS on Sunday. Betts was removed from Friday's game against the Astros in the eighth inning after aggravating his left wrist injury. Given that the Red Sox will be playing for their postseason lives on Sunday, it's difficult to imagine Betts not playing through the pain ... Nationals' manager Dusty Baker said Saturday that Max Scherzer's (hamstring) bullpen session went well on Friday. The issue that remains is how deep the right-hander will be able to go in Monday's Game 3 of the NLDS against the Cubs ... after it was initially reported that Byron Buxton played through fractured ribs during a Wild Card Game loss to the Yankees, the team clarified Saturday that tests "revealed no fractures" to the outfielder's rib cage. Buxton should enjoy a normal offseason ahead of entering next spring with a starting spot in hand ... Astros' manager A.J. Hinch confirmed Saturday that Carlos Beltran will serve as the club's designated hitter for Game 3 of the ALDS on Sunday. The 40-year-old has singled as a pinch-hitter in his lone at-bat through the first two games of the series. Beltran is 5-for-13 (.385) with a homer and a double in his career against Doug Fister, who is toeing the slab for the Red Sox on Sunday ... Red Sox manager John Farrell said Saturday that Chris Sale could be available out of the bullpen for Game 3 of the ALDS on Sunday. With the Red Sox staring at an 0-2 deficit, they're willing to do anything to win Sunday's game and that could include using their ace out of the bullpen on short rest. There have also been rumblings that he could be used to start Game 4 on short rest if Doug Fister and the Red Sox are victorious on Sunday ... Rays released INF Danny Espinosa, who hit just .173/.245/.278 this year.
Harper breathed life into an offense that had scored one run in its first 18 innings of postseason baseball, socking a game-tying, two-run home run in the eighth inning that set up Zimmerman's later heroics in the Nationals' 6-3 win over the Cubs Saturday in Game 2 of the NLDS.
“I saw the loop in it," Harper said of a curve ball from Cubs reliever C.J. Edwards, “and I tried to hit it as far as I could."
With one swing, he changed the trajectory of the game and possibly the series. Before that, the Nationals had been able to muster just one run through the better part of two games, an Anthony Rendon solo homer in the first inning of Saturday's game. Kyle Hendricks and company shut out the Nats in Friday night's Game 1.
With new life, the Nats didn't stop at Harper's homer. A walk and a single later, Zimmerman stepped to the plate against Mike Montgomery and lifted a pitch high in the air to left field. Ben Zobrist tracked the fly ball all the way to the wall, then lifted his glove as the ball landed just over the wall for a three-run homer.
Nationals closer Sean Doolittle worked around a one-out walk to earn the save in the ninth inning.
The late offense spoiled a very strong start by Cubs ace Jon Lester, who allowed just one run on two hits over his six innings. On the other side, Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez allowed three runs over five innings of work, settling for a no-decision.
For the Cubs, Willson Contreras and Anthony Rizzo hit solo and two-run homers, respectively, to provide the offense in the game.
Dodgers Pound Out Game 2 Win
If there's one statistic that might surprise about the Diamondbacks, it's that the team owned the second-best ERA in the National League this year.
One watching the first two games of their series against the Dodgers would most certainly be surprised.
After allowing nine runs in a Game 1 loss, Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray and the embattled bullpen yielded eight more in a loss to the Dodgers in Saturday's Game 2.
Ray actually held the Dodgers hitless through three innings -- despite allowing a run in the second -- but things went south with a pair of runs in the fourth. Four more runs in the fifth, including three allowed by D'backs reliever Jimmie Sherfy without recording an out, gave the Dodgers a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
On the other side, the Los Angeles club got four mediocre innings from Rich Hill before using six relievers to cover the final five innings. Closer Kenley Jansen got five outs to end it.
Three of the four Divisional Round series feature teams facing the prospect of needing to win out to advance, but none arguably have it worse than the Diamondbacks. Even if they can manage to win both home games, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw looms for a possible Game 5 back in LA.
Not many teams have the luxury of replacing one former All-Star with another, but that's the situation the Indians may face ahead of Sunday's Game 3.
Brantley To DH For Tribe In Game 3?
With designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion coping with an ankle injury, Michael Brantley, who only recently returned from an ankle injury of his own, could be called on to fill in against the Yankees and Luis Severino on Sunday.
"It just kind of makes it easy," Indians manager Terry Francona said Saturday. "If you have a choice to make, and you have an open slot at DH, it just seems common sense to put (Brantley) there."
Brantley was also turned to Friday after Encarnacion hurt his ankle in the first inning. Brantley went 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts in the extra-innings win.
He injured the ankle on August 8 and made it back with days to spare in the regular season, appearing in two games before season's end. Brantley appeared in 90 games on the year, batting .299/.357/.444 during the regular season.
Quick Hits: Red Sox manager John Farrell said Saturday that Mookie Betts (wrist) is expected to play in Game 3 of the ALDS on Sunday. Betts was removed from Friday's game against the Astros in the eighth inning after aggravating his left wrist injury. Given that the Red Sox will be playing for their postseason lives on Sunday, it's difficult to imagine Betts not playing through the pain ... Nationals' manager Dusty Baker said Saturday that Max Scherzer's (hamstring) bullpen session went well on Friday. The issue that remains is how deep the right-hander will be able to go in Monday's Game 3 of the NLDS against the Cubs ... after it was initially reported that Byron Buxton played through fractured ribs during a Wild Card Game loss to the Yankees, the team clarified Saturday that tests "revealed no fractures" to the outfielder's rib cage. Buxton should enjoy a normal offseason ahead of entering next spring with a starting spot in hand ... Astros' manager A.J. Hinch confirmed Saturday that Carlos Beltran will serve as the club's designated hitter for Game 3 of the ALDS on Sunday. The 40-year-old has singled as a pinch-hitter in his lone at-bat through the first two games of the series. Beltran is 5-for-13 (.385) with a homer and a double in his career against Doug Fister, who is toeing the slab for the Red Sox on Sunday ... Red Sox manager John Farrell said Saturday that Chris Sale could be available out of the bullpen for Game 3 of the ALDS on Sunday. With the Red Sox staring at an 0-2 deficit, they're willing to do anything to win Sunday's game and that could include using their ace out of the bullpen on short rest. There have also been rumblings that he could be used to start Game 4 on short rest if Doug Fister and the Red Sox are victorious on Sunday ... Rays released INF Danny Espinosa, who hit just .173/.245/.278 this year.
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