Near No-Hitter Leads Nationals Over Cardinals In NLCS Game 1

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Anibal Sanchez isn’t one of the Washington Nationals’ top-three starting pitchers, but he managed to stifle a ballclub that scored 13 runs in its previous game. Sanchez carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning before the Nats completed a 2-0 shutout of the Cardinals in St. Louis to capture the opener of the National League Championship Series. He put just three runners on base before pinch-hitter Jose Martinez cleanly singled to center with two down in the eighth for the Cardinals’ first hit. Sean Doolittle immediately relieved Sanchez after the hit and got four straight outs to finish the one-hitter for his first postseason save in two years. The Nationals got their first run in the second inning on an RBI double by Yan Gomes  off Cardinals starter and loser Miles Mikolas, who gave up seven hits while striking out seven over six frames. Howie Kendrick doubled the lead with an RBI single in the seventh against reliever John Brebbia.
Game 2 is Saturday in St. Louis. Washington ace Max Scherzer starts in his hometown, and Adam Wainwright gets the ball for St. Louis.