This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/fister-nats-quiet-braves-2-1-to-cut-magic-number-to-win-nl-east-to-12/2014/09/08/c55ec53e-37c4-11e4-bdfb-de4104544a37_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Fister, Nats quiet Braves, 2-1, to cut magic number to win NL East to 12 Fister, Nats quiet Braves, 2-1, to cut magic number to win NL East to 12
(about 9 hours later)
In the seventh inning Monday night, with Nationals Park enveloped in the first chill of fall, Matt Williams faced a decision as he strolled to the center of the diamond. Doug Fister glared at him. Two relievers stirred in the bullpen. The Atlanta Braves mounted a rally that may have doubled as their last stand for the National League East. Williams usually walks to the mound with orders, not questions, but now he wanted his pitcher’s opinion: Should he pull Fister or let him face one more batter? In the seventh inning Monday night, with Nationals Park enveloped in the first chill of fall, Matt Williams faced a decision as he strode, faster than usual, to the center of the diamond. Doug Fister glared at him. Two relievers stirred in the bullpen. The Atlanta Braves mounted a rally that may have doubled as their last stand for the National League East. Williams usually walks to the mound with orders, not questions, but now — two outs, two on — he wanted to gauge his pitcher’s mood.
Williams walked back to the dugout, the ball still in Fister’s hands. As the crowd whipped into a frenzy, Fister recorded the most crucial out of the first-place Washington Nationals’ 2-1 victory over the second-place Braves, a win that pushed the Nationals closer to the playoffs than any other win this season. Powered by Fister’s seven scoreless innings, the Nationals whittled their magic number to 12, pushed their division lead to eight games with 20 to play and may have stamped out the Braves’ final hopes to overtake them. “You want this guy?” Williams asked.
The Nationals’ victory came with a set of moments and decisions fit for October. The Nationals scored a pivotal insurance run in the seventh when Braves second baseman Tommy La Stella bobbled Anthony Rendon’s groundball just enough for Rendon to beat out a double play. The Nationals survived another rally in the eighth inning by using three pitchers and stranding the tying run on third base. Drew Storen, the fill-in closer with Rafael Soriano licking his wounds, struck out all three batters he faced as the crowd chanted, “Drooo!” “Yeah, baby,” Fister replied.
The frayed nerves did nothing to dampen the Nationals’ critical victory. They improved to 6-8 this year against the Braves, and despite the head-to-head results, the Nationals can bury them with one more victory over the next two days. At worst, the Nationals will begin a 10-day trip Thursday — including three games in Atlanta — with a six-game lead with just 18 games remaining. Williams turned around and walked back to the dugout. As the crowd whipped into a frenzy, Fister recorded the most crucial out of the first-place Washington Nationals’ 2-1 victory over the second-place Braves, a win that pushed the Nationals closer to the playoffs than any other this season. Powered by Fister’s seven scoreless innings, the Nationals whittled their magic number to 12, extended their division lead to eight games with 20 to play and may have stamped out the Braves’ final hopes to overtake them.
The Nationals rode Fister on Monday night. He scuttled any concern his three-start hitch generated with seven shutout innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out three. In his last three outings, all losses, Fister had allowed 11 earned runs and five homers over 162 / 3 innings. Fister had been the Nationals’ best pitcher, and perhaps their most valuable player, for the preceding three months – they won 14 of his 17 starts as he posted a 1.89 ERA. His form returned Monday as he extended his scoreless streak over the Braves to 15 innings. And it was a full seven innings, thanks to Williams’s decision to leave Fister in the game.
Fister dueled Braves left-hander Mike Minor all night, holding the 1-0 lead the Nationals took in the first inning on Ian Desmond’s RBI single. He cruised into the seventh inning having thrown only 82 pitches and retired 13 of the past 14 hitters he faced. “That’s greatly appreciated,” Fister said. “That’s the epitome of showing confidence. That’s what great managers do, is show confidence in guys and trust. That’s what he did tonight. I almost thank him for letting me stay out there.”
The Braves mounted their first threat all night. Freddie Freeman led off with a walk, and Justin Upton and Chris Johnson both pounded hard outs to center field. With Andrelton Simmons on deck, Williams walked to the mound. Matt Thornton and Craig Stammen warmed up. Williams typically does not walk to the mound unless he intends to take the ball. With infielders gathered around him and Fister, Williams nodded and walked away. It was Fister’s game. The Nationals’ victory came with a set of moments and decisions fit for October. The Nationals scored a pivotal insurance run in the seventh when Braves second baseman Tommy La Stella bobbled Anthony Rendon’s groundball just enough for Rendon to beat out a double play. The Nationals survived another rally in the eighth inning by using three pitchers — ruffling setup man Tyler Clippard along the way — and stranding the tying run on third base. Drew Storen stated his case to keep the closer’s role for good, striking out all three hitters he faced while the crowd chanted, “Droooo!”
The frayed nerves did not thing to dampen the Nationals’ critical victory. They improved to 6-8 against the Braves, and despite the head-to-head results, the Nationals can bury them with one more victory over the next two days. At worst, the Nationals will begin a 10-day trip Thursday — including three games in Atlanta — with a six-game lead with just 18 games remaining.
“It would be nice to win the division knowing we can beat the Braves rather than win the division knowing we can’t beat the Braves,” reliever Craig Stammen said. “I think this proves we can play good baseball against a good team and will prepare us for a playoff-type atmosphere.”
The Nationals rode Fister on Monday night. He scuttled any concern his three-start hitch generated with seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out three. In his last three outings, all losses, Fister had allowed 11 earned runs and five homers over 162 / 3 innings. Fister had been the Nationals’ best pitcher, and perhaps their MVP, for the preceding three months — they won 14 of his 17 starts as he posted a 1.89 ERA. Monday night, his form returned.
Fister dueled Braves left-hander Mike Minor all night, holding the 1-0 lead the Nationals took in the first inning on Ian Desmond’s RBI single. Focused on throwing sinkers inside to right-handed hitters, Fister cruised into the seventh inning having thrown only 82 pitches and retired 13 of the past 14 hitters he faced.
The Braves mounted their first threat all night. Freddie Freeman led off with a walk, and Justin Upton and Chris Johnson both pounded hard outs to center field. With Andrelton Simmons on deck, Williams walked to the mound.
“I want to read him,” Williams said. “I really had no plans on taking him out. But I wanted to read his eyes, too.”
Fister had his back turned to the dugout when Williams emerged, so he didn’t know if he had called for a reliever when the manager arrived at the mound.
“In that situation, the pitcher needs confidence,” catcher Wilson Ramos said. “When Matt came out and I don’t see him give any signs to the umpire to bring me that pitcher, I say inside to myself: ‘He don’t want to take Fister out of the game.’ ”
With infielders gathered around him and Fister, Williams nodded and walked away.
“Not a whole lot of doubt there,” Desmond said. “It’s pretty cool when the manager comes in like that. It’s always exciting, especially when the pitcher has the intensity like Doug has.”
The crowd roared as they realized Fister would stay in the game, a reaction that made some Nationals wonder if Williams had gone to the mound with the intent of igniting the stadium.
“If I was the manager, I would,” Stammen said. “You got to use that. In football, they can stand on the sidelines and get the crowd going. That’s like his only play right there.”
Simmons bunted Fister’s first pitch foul. He shot another sinker foul to make it 0-2. The crowd stood and roared. Fister threw his 104th pitch of the night. Simmons bounced it softly up the middle. Desmond snared the ball and stepped on second. Fans erupted as Fister walked off the field, head down.Simmons bunted Fister’s first pitch foul. He shot another sinker foul to make it 0-2. The crowd stood and roared. Fister threw his 104th pitch of the night. Simmons bounced it softly up the middle. Desmond snared the ball and stepped on second. Fans erupted as Fister walked off the field, head down.
The Nationals added a run in the eighth on Rendon’s RBI groundout – and they needed it. Williams called on Tyler Clippard, the Nationals’ regular eighth-inning set-up man. Pinch hitter Ryan Doumit doubled with one out on a fly to right field corner, which Jayson Werth nearly corralled with a slide into the fence. Clippard walked Jason Heyward to put the tying run on base and struck out pinch hitter Ramiro Pena for the second out. The Nationals added a run in the eighth on Rendon’s RBI groundout — and they needed it. Against Clippard, the Nationals’ regular eighth-inning set-up man, the Braves put two on with one out. Clippard struck out pinch hitter Ramiro Pena for the second out, but Freeman lumbering to the plate, Williams summoned Matt Thornton, the unassailable veteran lefty the Nationals acquired off waivers in early August.
With Freeman lumbering to the plate, Williams trudged from the dugout and summoned Thornton, the unassailable veteran lefty the Nationals acquired off waivers in early August. Freeman beat him — he slapped a groundball single through the right side, scoring the Braves’ first run in 16 innings, slicing the Nationals’ lead to 2-1. Clippard, accustomed to staying in games unless he loses the lead, fumed as he exited the field. Later, Clippard would walk out of Williams’s office.
Williams called on Stammen, his third pitcher of the inning, to face Upton with two outs. Stammen fell behind him, 1-0, and fired a sinker that veered from the inside corner toward Upton’s hands. Upton popped it up off the handle of the bat, and Adam LaRoche snared it just in front of the Nationals’ dugout. “The eighth inning is my inning,” Clippard said. “I was hot. I don’t think they have a problem with me feeling that way. Matt’s got to make tough decisions, and that was the decision he made.”
Storen blew the Braves away in the ninth inning. The crowd stood for the final batter, clapping and chanting as Storen rifled a 93-mph fastball past Simmons, pumped his fist and embraced catcher Jose Lobaton. The Nationals had vanquished the Braves and taken a big step toward the postseason. Storen blew the Braves away in the ninth inning. The crowd stood for the final batter, clapping and chanting, “Droooo!” Storen rifled a 93-mph fastball past Simmons, pumped his fist and embraced catcher Jose Lobaton.
“That’s as loud as I’ve ever heard it,” Storen said. “That’s unbelievably special. It’s something I don’t forget and I don’t ever take for granted.”