Dodgers-Nats rained out in Game 2 of NLDS; will play Sunday

The Washington Nationals will wait another day to play Game 2 of their National League Divisional Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After Game 2 was postponed last Friday, the Dodgers vs Nationals will start at 1:00 PM ET on Saturday.

The Dodgers won Game 1 on Friday 4-3, and thus lead the series 1-0. Troy Tulowitzki’s two-run drive in the second put 20-game victor J.A. Happ and the Blue Jays ahead to stay. Because of a groin injury and the recurring blister issues, Hill has made just nine starts since the end of May (all but three of them on extended rest).

Kenta Maeda is scheduled to start Game 3 for the Dodgers on Monday against the Nationals’ Gio Gonzalez. In seven starts since returning after a five-week absence, Hill’s pitch-count high was 93 on September 15 – four more than his total in a seven-inning, no-hit effort in his previous start.

After Hill struck out the side in the first inning, the Nationals had almost as much traffic on the bases. Hill, as Clayton Kershaw did in Game 1, struck out the first three Nationals he faced.

The Dodgers are 5-16 in their last 21 playoff road games and the under is 6-2 in the Dodgers last 8 playoff games.

Nationals pitchers walked a tightrope throughout the game but ultimately got the job done.

“By 1 o’clock we hopefully will be in a sunny period”, he said. The rain had disappeared by an hour past the original first-pitch time, though, and 20-20 hindsight said that the game could have been played.

“It’s supposed to be coming down light, and the window is it’s supposed to stop between 5:00 and 8:00”, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said in his pregame press conference prior to the announcement. Neither bullpen allowed a run in game one. Down 3-2, the Dodgers loaded the bases after singles by Justin Turner and Josh Reddick, then a walk to Yasiel Puig. “I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that that situation is going to play out in the courts, and there’s not a lot that I can do to move that process along”, he said. “How we fared against left-handed pitching…” The story quickly changed to missed opportunities, as the Dodgers mustered just one hit after Nationals starter Tanner Roark was replaced in the fifth inning.

The out pitch is his curveball which is ridiculous and one of the best in the majors. He struck out with three runners on in the second and then Chase Utley grounded out.

Roark said maybe the added energy affected him “here and there”, but as he wrestled his enthusiasm through 4⅓ innings – one of his shortest outings of the season, he said “nibbling was more the problem”.