Matt Williams says Nats are ‘itching’ for NLDS Game 3 after marathon loss
SAN FRANCISCO — To call the Washington Nationals’ loss Saturday night in Game 2 of the NLDS anything less than crushing would be like saying Bryce Harper’s hair is only modestly styled.
The Nats were one out away from a 1-0 shutout, one out away from evening the series on their homefield. The San Francisco Giants came back, sent it to extras, then the two teams played 18 innings, past midnight in D.C.
The Giants won 2-1, then the Nats got on an airplane and flew across the country for Game 3 in San Francisco, where they have to climb out of an 0-2 hole.
As the Nats prepared to take the field Monday, for a 2 p.m.-local-time first pitch, in a do-or-die game that could spell another postseason disappointment, manager Matt Williams said his team was itching to get back on the field. That’s better than yawning.
“I think we’re all itching,” Williams said before Nats’ batting practice. “And by the way, this is going to be a 5 p.m. game for us. So it’s not early. We’re on East Coast time, so this is right up our alley. It’s something you have to deal with. You play 18 innings and have to fly across the country and that’s what you have to do. There’s not much you can do about it. [We] had a good workout yesterday. Everybody is ready. It’s a tough pitcher and a tough team and we’re going to have to play well if we hope to win. But that’s the plan. That’s why we’re here.”
The Giants, of course, are in the same position. They arrived in San Francisco at 5:30 a.m. local time Sunday morning, and canceled their Sunday workout, confident that their three-game winning streak in this postseason would keep them ready for a possible clincher. Especially with ace Madison Bumgarner (19-10, 2.86 ERA) on the mound Monday. The Nats send Doug Fister (16-6, 2.41) to oppose him.
“You know, at this stage of the playoffs,” Giants skipper Bruce Bochy said of his players before BP, “you’re running on adrenaline, so they are fine.”
Williams said he had no plans to change anything before the crucial Game 3 — not even injecting Ryan Zimmerman into his lineup. There would be no lineup changes. There would be no special pep talk.
“Those conversations happen every day, regardless of playoffs, regular season, 18 innings, nine innings, doesn’t matter,” Williams says. “Those things happen every day with our club. There’s no need to have a team meeting. Everybody understands where we’re at and what’s at stake.”
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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
