The first major league team to officially clinch its berth in the 2017 postseason is the Washington Nationals, who won the National League East on Sunday.
Washington Nationals clinch the National League East
First 2017 ticket to MLB postseason punched
Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images
The Nationals took care of their part of the bargain on Sunday with a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, behind eight shutout innings and 10 strikeouts from Stephen Strasburg. The right-hander has pitched 34 consecutive scoreless innings.
Washington also needed the Miami Marlins to lose, and with the Nationals ending first, several fans stayed at Nationals Park to watch the conclusion of the Marlins’ game against the Atlanta Braves on the video board.
Atlanta rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to force extra innings, then delivered a 10-8 walk-off win in the 11th inning on a home run by Lane Adams.
This is the fourth division title in six years for the Nationals, who also captured the NL East in 2012, 2014 and 2016.
At 88-55, the Nationals have the second-best record in MLB, now just four games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (92-51), who have lost 10 straight games and 15 of their last 16. Washington hosts the Dodgers for three games next weekend in Washington D.C., a matchup that could very well determine the top seed in the National League playoffs.
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