This game was mostly painful to watch; it dragged on way too long.  The Nats bats just weren’t there for most of the game.  In fact it is a minor miracle I was awake for the really exciting 14th inning (thanks to my anticipation for the hockey playoff game soon to start in Wash, D.C.).

So, the 14th inning starts with the game tied and our star pitcher grabbing a bat and heading to the batter’s box as a pinch-hitter!  That was actually not so far fetched since he was hitting .286 with several key RBIs to his credit.  Anyhow, Max hits a clean single up the middle, and then we fans could hope maybe Max would try to steal 2B again:)))  Wilmer Difo then hits a shot in the right-centerfield gap that goes all the way to the wall.  Max takes off from first clearly pushing himself to top speed.  I began to worry about him pulling a hamstring (I have painful experience with that!).  But as I watch him approach 3B I see Bob Henley signaling Max to try to score!  I see the cutoff man bobble the throw a bit and then try to catch Difo stretching for a triple, so I know Max will score and put the Nats ahead.

They ended up winning the game 5-3, and pulling to only a half game out of first place.  And the 2 minor-league players in the game (Soto and Keiboom) had more hits (5) than the rest of the team combined!