The Nationals lost to the Giants in 18 innings tonight, in a game which lasted more than six hours. Giving up a home run in the top of the 18th and being unable to match it in the bottom of the inning was bad enough, but possibly giving the game away much earlier in the top of the 9th was worse. Jordan Zimmermann, who had retired 20 straight hitters before walking a guy with two out in the 9th, was pulled. In came a closer who’s had some bad history in the playoffs, giving up four runs in a Game Five deciding game in 2012. He promptly surrendered a double and a single and the game was tied. Nine more innings were required to determine who the winner would be.

Now the Nats are down 0-2 to the Giants and have to fly to San Francisco to try to win two games in a row there before coming back to DC and clinching. It is not going to be easy.

In the second game the Dodgers almost did the same thing. Their pitcher, Zack Greinke, went seven very strong innings (and got two hits in three at bats and scored a run as well), giving up only two hits and leaving with a 2-0 lead. His replacement, J.P. Howell, promptly gave up a single to the first guy he faced and a tying home run to the next guy.

Fortunately for all Dodgers fans everywhere, their rightfielder Matt Kemp led off the bottom of the 8th with a home run into the left field seats to retake the lead 3-2 and their closer made it stand up in the 9th.