One of the most fascinating storylines of the 2019 Major League Baseball Playoffs is the fact that the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves were knocked out of the postseason in a similar way. How? They both played an absolutely lousy first inning in their elimination game.
On October 9 in game five of the National League Divisional Series, the Cardinals scored a record 10 runs in the first inning to beat the Atlanta Braves 13-1. The 10 runs tied the MLB record for most runs in a single postseason game.
Then on Tuesday night, with the Cardinals once again facing elimination as they were trailing the Washington Nationals three games to none in the National League Championship Series, there was another gigantic offensive first inning outburst. This time it was against the Cardinals as the Nationals scored seven first inning runs en route to a 7-4 victory. With the win, the Nationals advanced to their first World Series in franchise history.
Let’s take a look at what happened in the first inning at Nationals Park on Tuesday. A total of 11 Nationals players came to bat in the inning as Washington had six hits and benefited from a Kolten Wong error. The Nationals scored a converted touchdown on only two extra base hits–doubles by Adam Eaton and Juan Soto.
The Nationals now have the luxury of resting for the World Series. The Astros lead the American League Championship Series 2-1 with the series not finishing until the weekend at the earliest.
