2019 NL Division Series Title
From wild card to World Series champions in 2019.
The Washington Nationals, originally known as the Montreal Expos, are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. They are a member of Major League Baseball's National League Eastern Division. Since the 2008 season, the Nationals have played in Nationals Park; from 2005 through 2007, the team played in Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.
Quick Facts
- Postseason outcome
- Advanced to NL Championship Series vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Lore & Background
In 2019, the Nationals had won just 19 of their first 50 games but managed to reach the postseason with a 93–69 record as the second Wild Card team in the NL. They defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card Game for their first win in a winner-take-all postseason game since moving to Washington. They upset the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS that went the full five games before sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS. With the win in their 51st season as a franchise, it ended the longest drought for a team's first pennant in MLB history. In the 2019 World Series, led by Strasburg, Max Scherzer and Juan Soto, the Nationals rallied from a 3–2 series deficit by winning the last two games on the road, with Howie Kendrick hitting a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning of Game 7 to give Washington their first World Series championship, with Strasberg being named World Series MVP.
Reader's Guide
The Nationals have made the postseason six times in their history, with their first being in 1981 (as the Expos) and the most recent being in 2019.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who did the Nationals beat in the 2019 NL Division Series?
The Nationals faced the Milwaukee Brewers, who had clinched the NL Central title that season. Washington, entering as the National League wild card representative, took the series in a clean 3-0 sweep.
How did the Nationals win the 2019 NLDS?
The team shut out the Brewers across all three games, never dropping a single contest. The sweep sent Washington straight into the NL Championship Series against the Houston Astros.
Why was the 2019 NLDS win a big deal for Nationals fans?
The squad had spent much of the regular season near the bottom of the standings, so the mid-season surge and subsequent playoff run felt like a redemption story. Fans celebrated the narrative as much as the result, viewing the sweep as proof the roster could compete when everything clicked.
What role did Patrick Corbin play in the 2019 NLDS?
Corbin was acquired from Arizona mid-season and became a critical piece of the rotation that carried Washington into the postseason. His presence gave the staff the depth and quality needed to outlast the Brewers over three games.
What happened to the Nationals after winning the 2019 NLDS?
The sweep earned them a spot in the NL Championship Series, where they were matched up with the Houston Astros. That next round continued their 2019 postseason push beyond the divisional stage.
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