WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals brought postseason baseball back to the nation’s capital for the first time since 1933, earning a playoff spot Thursday night with a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Nats Clinch” flashed on the scoreboard as Washington ensured at least an NL wild-card spot behind Ross Detwiler’s six strong innings and Ryan Zimmerman’s RBI double.
A crowd of 30,359 stood and cheered in the ninth inning, then got even louder when Drew Storen struck out Hanley Ramirez to end it. Manager Davey Johnson saluted the fans as he left the field and the team wore caps acknowledging the playoff berth.
Washington’s magic number to win the NL East was reduced to eight. The Nationals lead idle Atlanta by 5 1/2 games.
The Nationals became the second team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot this year. Cincinnati sealed its slot earlier in the day.
Washington was last in the postseason 79 years ago, when player-manager Joe Cronin and the Senators lost to the New York Giants in five games in the World Series.
Until this year, the Nationals had never had a winning season — nor finished above third place — since moving from Montreal for the 2005 season. It will be just the franchise’s second postseason berth and its first since the Expos came within a game of the World Series in 1981.
The Nationals lost more than 100 games in both 2008 and 2009, allowing them to draft pitcher Stephen Strasburg and center fielder Bryce Harper.
The loss dropped the Dodgers three games behind St. Louis for the NL’s second wild-card spot. Milwaukee moved ahead of Los Angeles with its win over Pittsburgh.
Detwiler (10-6) allowed just Mark Ellis’ fourth-inning home run and two singles. He struck five and walked one. Storen pitched the ninth for his third save.
Zimmerman’s third-inning double scored Harper with Washington’s first run. After Zimmerman, the only Nationals player to appear in each of the team’s eight seasons, took third on an infield out and scored on a wild pitch by Chris Capuano (11-11).
The Nationals added two runs in the fourth on a walk to Ian Desmond, an RBI double by Danny Espinosa and a sacrifice fly by Kurt Suzuki.
NOTES: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that LHP Clayton Kershaw was continuing with his throwing program. Kershaw will have to demonstrate to Mattingly he’s free from pain in his right hip before he’ll be able to pitch again, the manager said. … Mattingly said that RHP Chad Billingsley (right elbow) will begin to throw on Friday in Cincinnati. Billingsley, who hasn’t pitched in more than two months, isn’t close to returning. … Dodgers RHP Kenley Jansen appeared in his first game since Aug. 27. Jansen, out with an irregular heartbeat, and retired the only batter he faced. … Los Angeles will start RHP Aaron Harang on three days’ rest on Sunday. … Johnson said umpire Alan Porter apologized to him for allowing a run to score that shouldn’t have counted in the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader. … Johnson said that RHP Chien-Ming Wang will start on Sunday. Wang hasn’t started since June 19. He missed nearly two months with a right hip injury. … RHP Joe Blanton (9-13, 4.97) will start for Los Angeles against the Reds’ RHP Bronson Arroyo (12-8, 3.74) on Friday night. … RHP Edwin Jackson (9-10, 3.89) will pitch for Washington against Milwaukee’s RHP Shaun Marcum (5-4, 3.91) on Friday night.
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