Max Scherzer allowed one hit in seven innings, and a two-run Adam Eaton double in the eighth provided the winning margin as the Washington Nationals surged to a 2-0 lead in the NLCS with a 3-1 win at St. Louis on Saturday.
Scherzer didn’t give up a hit until Paul Goldschmidt lined a single to left to lead off the seventh. Mad Max got out of the inning with a 1-0 lead, having struck out 11 and walked two, allowing just that one hit.
Eaton, batting with two on and one out in the eighth, after back-to-back singles by Matt Adams and Trea Turner, lined a 3-2 pitch from Cards starter Adam Wainwright down the right-field line, scoring Adams and then a streaking Turner from first, to put Washington up 3-0.
Jose Martinez, with two outs and a runner on in the bottom of the eighth, off Nats reliever Sean Doolittle, hit a soft liner to center that Michael A. Taylor, who had hit a solo homer earlier, misplayed into an RBI double, making it 3-1.
That was the first run of the series for St. Louis, but Doolittle would get out of the situation when he induced Dexter Fowler to fly out to short right on a first-pitch 93-mph fastball.
Daniel Hudson, who arrived in St. Louis on an early-morning flight after missing Game 1 to mark the birth of his daughter, retired St. Louis in order in the ninth to end it.
The series now heads to Nationals Park for at least two games, maybe three, beginning with Game 3 Monday night.
Stephen Strasburg (18-6, 3.32 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 10.8 K/9) gets the ball for Washington, and will face St. Louis starter Jack Flaherty (11-8, 2.75 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 10.6 K/9).
Story by Chris Graham
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