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SPORTS Thursday 3 OcTOber 2019

Soto lifts Nats to 4-3 comeback wild-card win over Brewers

By HOWARD FENDRICH Spanish equivalent, "Va-
AP Sports Writer monos!"
WASHINGTON (AP) — Af- "The inning was an ugly in-
ter all the heartache and ning," Brewers manager
close calls, all the early ex- Craig Counsell said. "Crazy
its, maybe it makes sense things happen."
that a 20-year-old kid who Grisham, who has ap-
never had been to the peared in only 51 games in
postseason, Juan Soto, the majors and took over in
would help the Washington right after reigning NL MVP
Nationals finally advance. Christian Yelich was lost for
And maybe, just maybe, it the season three weeks
makes sense that it would ago with a broken knee-
be this particular edition of cap, said the ball "came in
the Nationals, a club that with a little topspin, took a
went from 12 games un- funny hop."
der .500 in May to playoff His teammates tried to con-
participant, that demon- sole a tearful Grisham with
strated the necessary nev- a series of hugs in the club-
er-give-up fortitude when house afterward.
things looked bleak. "It's going to sting," he said.
Soto delivered a bases- After Max Scherzer fell be-
loaded single against Mil- Members of the Washington Nationals celebrate after winning a National League wild-card base- hind 3-0 by giving up hom-
waukee closer Josh Hader ball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, in Washington. Washington won ers to Yasmani Grandal in
that scored three runs with 4-3. the first and Eric Thames in
two outs in the eighth in- Associated Press the second, Strasburg re-
ning, thanks in part to an placed him in the sixth and
error by rookie outfielder chanted "Beat LA! Beat LA!" so someone who has been right then? threw three scoreless in-
Trent Grisham, and the Na- as members of the Nation- through all the disappoint- "Just get a base hit up the nings to earn the win in the
tionals came back to beat als began their celebration ment. "Finally caught a middle," he said, "and try to first relief appearance of his
the Brewers 4-3 in the NL on the infield with family break tonight." help to tie the game." major league career, regu-
wild-card game Tuesday members. It was Zimmerman's broken- The runner-up for 2018 NL lar season or playoffs.
night. That included Soto's father bat bloop single as a pinch Rookie of the Year did more Daniel Hudson pitched the
"We started off horrible, leaping onto his back and hitter that helped load the than that. Soto ripped a 96 ninth for the save, getting
as we all know, and we tackling him amid the ex- bases in the eighth off Had- mph fastball to right, and Ben Gamel to fly out to the
vowed that we wouldn't citement. er, who took the loss. the ball skipped under warning track in center with
quit," Nationals manager The Nationals, who moved Hader hit another pinch hit- Grisham's glove for an error. a man on to end it.
Dave Martinez said, talking to Washington from Mon- ter, Michael A. Taylor, a rul- That allowed the go-ahead "Hats off for us to for con-
about the year as a whole treal before the 2005 sea- ing that stood up when the run to cross the plate and tinuing to fight, because
but sounding like he could son, had been 0-3 in win- Brewers challenged, ac- Soto to get to second, then we know if we could keep
have meant this particular ner-take-all postseason cording to Major League turn for third. it close we could have a
evening. "I told the boys, games — all NLDS Game 5 Baseball, because there "Right guy, right spot," win- chance at the end," said
'I promise you, stay with losses at home, by a grand wasn't "clear and convinc- ning pitcher Stephen Stras- Trea Turner, who got Wash-
it, don't quit, this will turn total of four runs. Indeed, ing evidence to overturn burg said about Soto. ington within 3-1 with a solo
around.' And it did. And eight of their past nine the call." Eventually, Soto was shot off Brandon Woodruff
here we are today." playoff losses had been by Said Hader: "Definitely caught in a rundown to end in the third.
The Nationals carry a nine- one run apiece. looked like it got the bat, the inning, but that didn't It wasn't until the eighth,
game winning streak into This time, it went the other but it also got his hand." matter: He had turned a though, that the Nation-
their best-of-five NL Division way. Hader, who had 37 saves 3-1 deficit into a lead, and als would push more runs
Series against the league- "We've been here a bunch this season, also walked so he clapped his hands, across. Just the sort of dra-
best Dodgers. of times. Never kind of Anthony Rendon, filling the then pounded his chest matic turnaround they
Game 1 is Thursday in Los broke through," said Ryan bags and bringing Soto to and high-fived third base pulled off this season, going
Angeles, and some in the Zimmerman, the Nationals' the plate. coach Bob Henley, before from 19-31 in May to playoff
sellout crowd of 42,993 first draft pick back in 2005, What was Soto thinking shouting "Let's go!" and its team.q