Nationals Look to Keep Cardinals Down After Shellacking in St. Louis

The Nationals just put nine runs on the board and embarrassed the Cardinals 9-1 last night at Busch Stadium, and now they're hunting the series sweep in the finale. Washington's bats came alive in a big way, turning what should've been a competitive September game into a laugher. The Cardinals, meanwhile, looked lifeless—one measly run against a Nationals staff that's been far from dominant this year.

St. Louis is staring down a potential three-game losing streak on their own turf, which is never a good look when you're trying to stay relevant down the stretch. The question is whether last night was an aberration or if Washington has genuinely figured something out against this Cardinals pitching staff. One game doesn't make a trend, but momentum is real, especially when confidence is flowing.

The Cardinals need to show some pride here and avoid the broom, but after getting boat-raced like that, it's fair to wonder if they've got the fight left. Washington proved they can score in bunches when they get rolling, and that's a dangerous proposition for a St. Louis squad that just watched their pitching get shelled. DarkHorse nailed the Nationals yesterday at -105, and it's hard to bet against the hot hand until someone proves they can cool it off.