The Washington Nationals might not have had the season that they dreamed of, but that might not matter after they clinched an NL Wild Card berth after a doubleheader sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday afternoon.
The Nationals beat the Phillies by a 4-1 margin in the matinee game 1, which eliminated Philadelphia from Wild Card contention, while they came back to win in a dramatic 6-5 game in the nightcap.
Their two wins on Tuesday pushed their record to 88-69, a mark that will be good enough to qualify for the postseason for the first time since the 2017 season, when they won the NL East.
The Nationals might’ve had their sights set on a division title heading into the season, but simply couldn’t match a dominant campaign by the Atlanta Braves.
They’ll like their chances to advance far in the playoffs, however, thanks largely to a three-headed starting pitching rotation of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin.
Washington currently holds a one-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the right to host the Wild Card game next Tuesday night. No matter who hosts the game, the two teams are nearly guaranteed to square off in the game, barring a miracle comeback by the Mets or Cubs.
The game will take place on October 1st at 8 o’clock.
