Griffin sets the tone in series opener
With his best start of the season, Foster Griffin dismantled the Phillies and led the Nationals to an uplifting win to open a key homestand
The state of the NL wild card race suggested this was one of the most meaningful games the Nationals had played in a while. And the fact it came against a Phillies club loaded with stars who used to play in D.C., one that currently holds a slightly higher position in that race than its division rivals, only added to the intrigue of Monday night’s series opener on South Capitol Street.
Not that the home team let on that Game 79 of 162 was more important than any that preceded it, or any that are still to come in the next three months. Yes, the Nats understand these are important games. But in their minds, they’ve already been playing important games for a while now.
“We’ve played a lot of playoff teams, and we’re up there above .500 and pushing for a wild card spot,” Foster Griffin said. “I’m really impressed with this team as a whole. We’re not backing down from anybody. It doesn’t really matter the names on the back of the jersey, or what team we’re playing. We feel like we’ve got a good lineup and a good staff to go out there and combat it.”
Which is precisely what the Nationals did tonight during a crisp, 4-1 victory over the Phillies. They weren’t bothered by the 1-hour, 32-minute rain delay that came before first pitch. And they certainly weren’t intimidated by the team they faced, no matter the difference in track record and payroll between these two squads.
