Sanchez Loses No-Hit Bid In Eighth, But Nationals Do Enough To Take Game One NLCS Win Over Cardinals 2-0

ST. LOUIS – Anibal Sanchez came close to becoming the third pitcher to throw a no-hitter in postseason history, but a Jose Martinez single in the eighth broke up the bid.

It was the only hit that the St. Louis Cardinals would have, as Sanchez totally shut down the Cardinal offense as the Washington Nationals won game one of the National League Championship Series 2-0 Friday night at Busch Stadium.

Sanchez pitched seven-and-two-thirds innings, walking one and striking out five in the longest unsuccessful bid for a no-hitter since Game Two of the 1967 World Series, when Boston’s Jim Lonborg did the same thing to the Cardinals, allowing a two-out hit in the top of the eighth in a Red Sox win to square that series.

Yan Gomes drove in the only run the Nationals would really need, with a two-out RBI single that scored National League Division Series hero Howie Kendrick to make it 1-0 for Washington.

Washington got some insurance in the seventh, when Kendrick singled to center, scoring Adam Eaton to make it 2-0. Willis then saw his no-hit bid fall in the bottom of the eighth when Martinez singled sharply to center to break up the bid.

St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas pitched well himself, giving up seven hits and striking out seven in his six innings, with Sean Doolitle getting the save for Washington.

The Nationals lead the best-of-seven series 1-0 in making their first appearance in the NLCS since 1981 when they were known as the Montreal Expos. Game two of the series is set for Saturday afternoon at 3:07 p.m., with Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals going up against Washington’s Max Scherzer in what should be a classic pitching match-up. Game three will be played Monday at Nationals Park, with a start time of 6:37 p.m. St. Louis time and game four will go on Tuesday at 7:08 p.m.

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