SAN FRANCISCO - Bryce Harper screamed out in delight as he crossed the plate with Washington ahead at last. After all those extra innings and a subdued cross-country flight, the Nationals had broken through - with a little help from Madison Bumgarner.
Doug Fister pitched seven shutout innings and the Nationals capitalized on Bumgarner's one off-target throw, staving off elimination in the NL Division Series with a 4-1 win against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. The Nationals cut their deficit to 2-1 in the best-of-five series.
Washington scored two runs on Bumgarner's throwing error in the seventh inning to end the ace's 21-inning scoreless streak. Harper punctuated the victory with a solo homer in the ninth.
Drew Storen allowed to the first two batters to reach in the bottom of the ninth but shook off his postseason struggles, allowing a run in closing it out as Washington forced a Game 4 tonight.
Now, the 96-win Nationals will send left-hander Gio Gonzalez up against San Francisco right-hander Ryan Vogelsong.
On a day Bumgarner had been nearly untouchable, his own miscue prevented a three-game sweep. He fielded Wilson Ramos' two-strike sacrifice bunt between the mound and the first-base line and fired to third rather than going for the sure out at first.
Bumgarner's throw sailed wide of Pablo Sandoval's outstretched glove and bounced all the way to the tarp along the left-field wall. Asdrubal Cabrera followed with an RBI single.