(Photo Credit: Michael McLoone / USA TODAY Sports)

The two teams leaving the National League guessing

The Washington Nationals’ season seemed over almost as soon as it had begun. The Milwaukee Brewers appeared doomed in early September when their best hitter, Christian Yelich, injured his kneecap and was ruled out for the duration.

And here they are, the survivors. Meeting Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., in a one-and-done to advance to the National League Division Series. Game time is 8:08 p.m. ET, with TBS televising.

“There is no tomorrow. That’s how you treat this game, and that’s how we’ll treat it,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.

The Nats, after an offseason of wrangling with Bryce Harper and losing this name star to the Philadelphia Phillies, stumbled to a 19-31 start that had nearly everyone calling for the firing of manager Dave Martinez. And though the Nats remain plagued by bullpen problems, their front-line pitching strengthened, Anthony Rendon led the majors in RBI and the Nats returned to the postseason after a one-year absence.

The Brewers never seemed to fret after losing Yelich, the 2018 NL MVP. They won 12 of their final 14 games while chasing the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. The Brewers are still a little banged up, with Mike Moustakas (elbow) and Ryan Braun (calf) still expected to play.

The Nats are pitching Max Scherzer and the Brewers counter with Brandon Woodruff, lightly used lately due to injuries.

The American League wild card matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland A’s is set for Wednesday in the Bay Area at 8:09 p.m.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman