SAN FRANCISCO – Doug Fister pitched seven shutout innings, and the Washington Nationals took advantage of Madison Bumgarner’s one off-target throw to stave off elimination in the NL Division Series with a 4-1 win against the San Francisco Giants on Monday.
Fister dazzled again in San Francisco, helping the Nationals cut their deficit to 2-1 in the best-of-five series and ending the Giants 10-game postseason winning streak that started with Game 5 of the 2012 NL Championship Series against St. Louis.
Washington scored two runs on Bumgarner’s throwing error in the seventh inning to end the ace’s 21-inning scoreless streak. Bryce Harper punctuated the victory with a solo homer in the ninth.
“Really it came down to every pitch,” Fister said. “Fortunately a ball bounced our way.”
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 on Tuesday night.
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 21-inning postseason scoreless streak ended on his own miscue. Now, the Giants must wait another day to try to eliminate the Nationals, who trail 2-1 in the best-of-five series.
