Nationals Lose to Cardinals, 8-0, Stephen Strasburg Someone Named Ross Detwiler Pitches Thursday to Save their Season
By Jason McIntyre
Washington’s first postseason baseball game in 79 years was over early. St. Louis scored one in the first, three in the second, and rolled over the listless Nationals, 8-0 in game three of the NLDS.
The Nationals, who had the best record in baseball this season, are now down 2-1 in the best-of-five series. Thursday in game four, instead of the possibility of throwing stud pitcher Stephen Strasburg, Washington will turn to the significantly less intimidating Ross Detwiler.
Strasburg, you see, has been shut down for the season by smarter-than-everyone GM Mike Rizzo. Did Rizzo talk to the doctor who performed Tommy John surgery on Strasburg before making the executive decision? Of course not.*
If St. Louis wins game four, all baseball talk Thursday and Friday will center around Strasburg (unless the Yankees happen to fold against the Orioles).
The Cardinals, who beat the Braves on the road in a Wild Card game just to reach the NLDS, saw Detwiler 11 days ago and chased him after 2 1/3 innings in a 10-4 rout.
Game 4 is at 4:07 pm on TBS.
[*UPDATE: As readers noted, Strasburg’s doctor first said he didn’t talk to Rizzo and the Nationals. After the story went viral on the web and ESPN talked about it, he changed his tune.]