Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins shouts ‘Play Ball’ before Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Nationals and Dodgers on Friday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The postponement of Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Saturday created a dilemma for some D.C. sports fans, or at least fans of both the Nationals and Redskins who can’t prioritize one team over the other.
Sunday marked the third time that the Redskins played a game on the same day as a Nationals playoff game, but the first time that the kickoff of the Redskins game coincided with the first pitch of the Nationals game. Sunday also marked the first time that the Redskins won a regular season game on the same day that the Nationals won a playoff game, which should come as a surprise to no one who has been a D.C. sports fan longer than Mark Melancon has been Dusty Baker’s lights-out closer.
[Best and worst moments from the Redskins’ 16-10 win over the Ravens]
Things did not start out well for fans who were keeping an eye on both games. Really, they couldn’t have started much worse.
Dodgers rookie Corey Seager hit a solo home run to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the first inning at Nationals Park at roughly the same time that Joe Flacco capped the Ravens’ opening drive with a touchdown pass to Crockett Gillmore up I-95. Perhaps “neither” was the healthiest answer to the question, “Which game will you be following most closely?”
[Best and worst moments from the Nationals’ win over the Dodgers]
Flacco threw that pass right as Seager hit the ball lol. Just start drinking now DC fans.
— Lawson (@lawson_sts) October 9, 2016
Ravens and Dodgers score almost simultaneously. Hot start…
— Kevin Hernandez (@knandez1217) October 9, 2016
The double-dose of D.C. sports doom happened again about half an hour later, when Kirk Cousins took a sack that moved Washington out of field-goal range. Anyone with a quicker trigger finger than the Redskins’ quarterback could have flipped over to FS1 in time to see Jose Lobaton ground into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.
Cousins takes a brutal sack. Lobaton grounds out with the bases loaded. D.C. Sports.
— Umair Khan (@UKhanNBA) October 9, 2016
Less than 10 minutes later, Matt Jones fumbled at the Redskins’ 15-yard line at almost the same time as Lobaton couldn’t handle Bryce Harper’s throw from right field, allowing the Dodgers to take a 2-0 lead. At this rate, Yasiel Puig was going to hit a walk-off grand slam as Flacco simultaneously broke five tackles en route to the end zone on an 80-yard touchdown run in overtime.
Matt Jones fumble and Loboton dropping tag at plate happened almost SIMULTANEOUSLY!!
— Steve Czaban (@czabe) October 9, 2016
[Redskins, Capitals and Wizards pull off incredibly rare D.C. sports trifecta]
But Lobaton would redeem himself with a go-ahead, three-run home run in D.C. as the Redskins were preparing to start the second half in Baltimore. Shortly after Cousins gave the Redskins a 13-10 lead with a touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon, Nationals reliever Marc Rzepczynski got Howie Kendrick to line out to left field to leave the bases loaded in the fifth inning, preserving Washington’s 3-2 lead.
The Redskins would add three more points; the Nationals would tack on two more runs. Cousins ended his press conference by asking reporters for an update on the Nationals game. The home team won, completing a rare double serving of happiness for D.C. sports fans.
Great day to be a DC sports fan! 2-0 #Nats #Redskins
— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) October 9, 2016
The previous two times the Redskins played a game on the same day as a Nationals playoff game, the Nationals won and the Redskins lost.
On Oct. 7, 2012, the Redskins lost to the Falcons, 24-17, at FedEx Field in a game that kicked off at 1 p.m. At 2:08 p.m., Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright delivered the first pitch in Nationals playoff history to Jayson Werth in St. Louis. The Nationals went on to win, 3-2, with Drew Storen earning the save.
On Oct. 6, 2014, the Nationals staved off elimination with a 4-1 win over the Giants at AT&T Park in Game 3 of the NLDS. That game was over well before the Redskins kicked off a 27-17 loss to the Seahawks on “Monday Night Football” at FedEx Field.
