Juan Soto's Heroics Lead Nationals to 4-3 NL Wild Card Game Win vs. Brewers

The Washington Nationals are one step closer to their first World Series title in franchise history.

Washington defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in Tuesday's dramatic National League Wild Card Game at Nationals Park and will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series. While this was just one game, it represents the franchise's first victory in a postseason series since it was in Montreal in 1981.

Juan Soto played the role of hero with a bases-loaded single off Josh Hader in the bottom of the eighth inning that scored three runs in part because right fielder Trent Grisham misplayed the ball and let it get past him.

Juan Soto Single

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The clutch hit helped give the Nationals a chance to make up for Division Series losses in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

As for Milwaukee, it was unable to force a rematch with the Dodgers after losing to the two-time reigning National League champions in seven games in last year's National League Championship Series.

Notable Player Stats

• Brandon Woodruff: four innings pitched, one earned run, two hits, zero walks and three strikeouts
• Josh Hader: one inning pitched, three runs (two earned), two hits, one walk and two strikeouts
• Yasmani Grandal: 1-for-3, one home run, two RBI, one run and one walk
• Eric Thames: 2-for-4, one home run, one RBI and one run
• Max Scherzer: five innings pitched, three earned runs, four hits, three walks and six strikeouts
• Stephen Strasburg: three innings pitched, zero earned runs, two hits, zero walks and four strikeouts
• Juan Soto: 1-for-4 and two RBI
• Trea Turner: 1-for-4, one home run, one RBI and one run

Stephen Strasburg and Juan Soto Save Nationals from Typical Playoff Misery

The Nationals knew only playoff failure before Tuesday's game, and arguably the best pitcher in the league wasn't even enough to change that until Stephen Strasburg and Soto saved the day.

Max Scherzer is one of the all-time greats as a three-time Cy Young winner who finished in the top five in the award's voting in each of the last six years, but Milwaukee wasted no time jumping all over him with a two-run homer from Yasmani Grandal on the first pitch the catcher saw in the opening inning and a solo blast from Eric Thames in the second.

Yasmani Grandal Home Run

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It was more of the same for Scherzer after he allowed four runs (two earned), three hits and a walk in just one inning of work in a decisive Game 5 loss to the Chicago Cubs in the 2017 NLDS in his last postseason appearance.

Teams can't prepare for tomorrow in win-or-go-home scenarios, so Nationals manager Dave Martinez turned to Strasburg after Scherzer was mediocre through five innings of work.

It was a brilliant move, as the team's second ace did everything Washington could ask for in three shutout frames that gave the offense a chance for some late fireworks after the rough start. The typically dominant Hader was unable to close the door in Strasburg-like fashion, as Ryan Zimmerman's single and Anthony Rendon's ability to work a walk set the table for Soto.

Things get more challenging from here for a Nationals team that used its two best pitchers for a combined eight innings before a series against a loaded Dodgers pitching staff, but the typical postseason futility was nowhere to be found in the final two innings.

Familiar Formula Finally Lets Down Resilient Brewers

The Brewers didn't have MVP candidate Christian Yelich after he suffered a fractured right knee cap last month. They didn't have an ace starter to match Scherzer. They are accustomed to being overlooked in their own division against high-profile opponents in the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.

None of it mattered until Washington's final turn at bat.

The team that relied on a different hero every game when it went 13-5 and clinched a playoff spot after Yelich's injury turned to Brandon Woodruff as the starter who would deliver the ball to the formidable bullpen with the lead.

Trea Turner Home Run

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He did just that with Trea Turner's solo homer in the third inning as the only damage before the combination of Brent Suter and Drew Pomeranz paved the way for Hader with a seemingly comfortable two-run lead.

The familiar formula of acceptable starting pitching to go with a steady and deep bullpen to shorten games and frustrate opponents worked down the stretch this season and was enough to push Los Angeles to seven games in last year's NLCS.

It appeared as if it would be enough once again, but Hader faltered in the biggest moment of the season and sent his team to an offseason where it could look to bolster the starting rotation so there is not as much pressure on the bullpen in nearly every game.

What's Next?

The Nationals will now be tasked with defeating a Dodgers team that features a pitching staff with Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler and Hyun-Jin Ryu in a short best-of-five series. Game 1 is Thursday at Dodger Stadium.