The Washington Nationals’ early offensive outbursts were not enough to withstand a slowly developing rally by the St. Louis Cardinals, and the first postseason Major League Baseball in D.C. since 1933 ended with a 9-7 loss in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.

Like Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, the Cardinals found themselves down to the last strike twice in the ninth inning, but they tagged Nats closer Drew Storen for four runs to cap a comeback that started when they were down 6-0 in the fourth inning.

When Storen had the Cardinals down to their last strike with two outs, he walked Yadier Molina and then David Freese. He allowed two-run singles to Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma.

It was the largest comeback ever in a winner-take-all postseason game, according to STATS LLC. No other club in this sort of ultimate pressure situation had come back from more than four down.

The Nats’ bats were on fire at the start. Jayson Werth followed the Nats’ last at-bat Thursday – a dramatic walk-off home run – with their first at-bat of Game 5 and stroked a double. Next up, Bryce Harper drove Werth home with a triple. Then Zimmerman brought himself and Harper home with a two-run dinger.

Then Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright found a groove, striking out the next batters to end the first inning down 3-0.

The Nats added a fourth run on a Harper solo shot in the third inning, stirring the Cardinals’ bullpen. Wainwright was chased three batters later when Michael Morse drove in Ryan Zimmerman with a two-run shot to put the Nats up 6-0 after three innings. It was first time Wainwright had allowed more than one run in any of his 12 career postseason appearances, the Associated Press reported.

Joe Kelly finished the third inning and pitched a scoreless fourth.

The Cardinals began their slow climb back in the top of the fourth when a Matt Holliday double drove in Carlos Beltran.

In the fifth, the Cardinals trimmed the deficit to three runs, as Nats ace Gio Gonzalez suddenly couldn’t find the plate. The Cardinals loaded the bases with nobody out -- a double by Descalso, a single by Kozma and a walk to pinch hitter Shane Robinson --  and Gonzalez was lucky to get out of the inning having given up only two more runs. He got Jon Jay out on a soft liner, then bounced a wild pitch in the dirt that allowed Descalso to score. Gonzalez walked Beltran to load the bases again and bring the tying run up to the plate. Holliday could only manage a tapper in front of the plate, and Kozma was forced at home. Gonzalez issued a bases-loaded walk to Allen Craig -- the pitcher’s third of the inning -- making the score 6-3. Gonzalez got Yadier Molina to fly out to right to end the inning, and his night was finished.

Trevor Rosenthal retired the Nationals in order in the bottom of the fifth, and Edward Mujica emerged unscathed in the sixth despite allowing two base-runners, including Kurt Suzuki, who had the Nats’ first hit since the Morse home run.

St. Louis inched closer in the seventh. Game 3 starter Edwin Jackson came in for reliever Sean Burnett and walked John Jay, who moved to third on a Beltran double and scored on a Holliday ground out.

With Tyler Clippard pitching for the Nats, Descalso led off the eighth inning with a solo home run to close the gap to 6-5, but Clippard was able to shut down the Cards for the rest of the inning.

The Nationals’ cold bats awoke again in the bottom half of the inning. LaRoche and Morse led off with a pair of singles off Cardinals reliever Jason Motte. Ian Desmond grounded in to a fielder’s choice to give the Nats runners at first and third. After a foul pop out by Danny Espinoza, Suzuki singled home LaRoche to extend the lead to 7-5.

But Storen coughed up the lead in the ninth. The defending World Series champion Cardinals got a tying two-out, two-run single from Descalso and a go-ahead two-run single from Kozma to complete the rally.

Motte fared better for the Cardinals, pitching a one, two, three inning to win the game and the series.

Little consolation now, but the way the Nats are built, this team should contend again next season. Washington lost baseball when the Senators moved to Texas after the 1971 season and didn't get it back until the Expos moved to D.C. in 2005. The team they got needed some work, finishing last in the NL East in five of its first six years while new owners were found, a stadium was built and a farm system was rebuilt.

The 100-loss seasons in 2008 and 2009 were particularly brutal, but they put the Nationals in position to take blue-chippers Stephen Strasburg and Harper with consecutive No. 1 overall draft picks in 2009 and 2010.

This was Washington's first elimination game since the 1925 World Series when the legendary Walter Johnson lost by the same 9-7 score to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Senators held a 6-3 lead in that game.

The Cardinals now head to San Francisco to start the National League Championship Series against the Giants Sunday.

You're going to hear a lot about how Nationals utility man Mark DeRosa read Theodore Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" speech before Game 4 of the NLDS (I estimate that at least three game stories will use this anecdote in their respective leads). 

Here is that speech for those unfamiliar with it:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

We're looking for the Nats' biggest fans!

Send us your pictures of you, your kids, your pets - or your house - decked out in team gear.

We might use them on NBCWashington.com or on News4!

Just upload them using this form, or email them to NatsPix@nbcwashington.com

And check out the pictures we've gotten so far here.

Jayson Werth just saved the Washington Nationals' season with a walk-off home run. It all happened so fast, so while in the midst of your euphoria, you probably didn't get a chance to truly appreciate Werth's solo shot.

Below is a photo essay that I like to call "A Picture Is Werth a Thousand Words." All photos by Rob Carr and Patrick McDermott of Getty Images:

It also makes a great gift! Flip book, anyone?  

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

It was do or die for the Washington Nationals Thursday. A loss to the St. Louis Cardinals would end their season much earlier than many would have expected/hoped. But when Washington needed a big hit, it got one from its most experienced player.

Jayson Werth's solo shot in the bottom of the ninth -- his 14th career postseason home run -- saved the Nationals' season in a 2-1 win. With the series tied at 2-2, the decisive Game 5 will be played tomorrow evening at Nationals Park. Gio Gonzalez will return to the mound and will be opposed by Adam Wainwright. 

READ our complete Nats playoffs coverage here.

Below is the live blog of today's action.

Pre-game: En route to Nationals Park? Make sure to "Stomp The Card" at the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro, brought to you by Cardinal Bank.

This Is the True Meaning of Natitude: 

(Photo credit: @RobLalka)

Or Maybe This Is: 

(Photo credit: @PamStoren)

This is the Storen family dog. If this pup could talk, then it would probably say "DREWWWWWWWWW."

Top 1st: Ross Detwiler, who grew up a fan of the Cardinals, gets Jon Jay and Carlos Beltran to ground out and pop out to Ian Desmond, respectively. Matt Holliday hits a comebacker to Detwiler, who soft tosses to Adam LaRoche for the third out. 

Bottom 1st: Jayson Werth flies out to shallow left field and Pete Kozma gets under it without causing a scene for the first out. Bryce Harper's struggles continue as he pops out. Kyle Lohse strikes out Ryan Zimmerman looking to end the inning. Scoreless in Southeast.

Top 2nd: For the first time in this series, the Nationals did now allow a run in the second inning (entering Game 4, 10 of St. Louis' 22 combined runs had come in the second). Ross Detwiler allows a single to David Freese, but he doesn't get any further than first. Small victories. 

Bottom 2nd: Adam LaRoche gets under a 3-2 pitch from Kyle Lohse and pulls it foul, but on the very next pitch, he takes Lohse deep to center for his second home run of the series to give the Nationals a much-needed 1-0 lead. It was the first poseason run scored in Washington since Oct. 7, 1933. None of us were alive (I assume no one who was is reading this), so this is what it must feel like to see a comet for the first time. Lohse settles down, getting Michael Morse to ground out, Ian Desmond to line out and Danny Espinosa to strike out to end the inning.

Top 3rd: Pete Kozma walks and advances to second on Kyle Lohse's sacrifice bunt. Jon Jay hits what should be a routine grounder to short, but Ian Desmond boots it and Jay makes it safely to first as Kozma advances to third. Kurt Suzuki is shaken up on the play when Jay's bat catches him on the hand, but remains in the game. Carlos Beltran ties the game at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly as Kozma beats Bryce Harper's errant throw home. Matt Holliday strikes out.

Bottom 3rd: Kurt Suzuki, Ross Detwiler and Jayson Werth go down in order as the score remains tied at 1-1.

See You In The NLCS(?): The San Francisco Giants defeated the Cincinnati Reds 6-4 Thursday to advance to the NLCS, so that is the Nationals' next opponent if they can come back to win this series. 

Good Will Grunting: Home-plate umpire Jim Joyce is making some awful grunting/squealing noises behind the plate today. If tennis can put a moratorium on grunting, then baseball should do the same. At least Maria Sharapova is hot. 

But these, these are good:

Top 4th: Allen Craig singles, but is stranded on first as the Cardinals go down in order following the hit.

Presidents Race: Teddy wins his third race in a row. Like I said yesterday, if the Nationals don't win it all, I'm blaming him.

Bottom 4th: .058. That is Bryce Harper's average in this series after fouling out to third. Ryan Zimmerman singles, but Adam LaRoche also fouls out to third. Michael Morse strikes out on a breaking ball.

Top 5th: Pete Kozma walks, but when Kyle Lohse attempts another sacrifice bunt, Adam LaRoche gets the force at second. With Lohse on first, Jon Jay strikes out and Carlos Beltran grounds out.

Bottom 5th: It took only four pitches for the Cardinals to get three outs. It took me longer to write this sentence. Not this one. Or this one. The one before the other one. Forget it.

All this after hitting coach Rick Eckstein told TBS that "our at-bats have been fine." 

Top 6th: With Allen Craig on first, Yadier Molina grounds to Ryan Zimmerman, who throws to Danny Espinosa for what should be an inning-ending double play. Espinosa, however, never touched the bag and Craig makes it to second safely.

(Photo credit: @dcsportsbog)

Ross Detwiler intentionally walks David Freese and Daniel Descalso grounds out to end the inning. Still 1-1.

Bottom 6th: Ross Detwiler's day ends after six innings of one-run, three-hit ball, by far the strongest start of any Nationals starter through four games. Steve Lombardozzi pinch hits and flies out. Jayson Werth strikes out and Bryce Harper also flies out. Kyle Lohse has retired eight consecutive batters. 

Top 7th: Jordan Zimmermann makes his first-career relief appearance after starting Game 2. He strikes out the side on just 12 pitches. Yeah, he's good. 

Bottom 7th: The heart of Washington's order can't do any damage. Ryan Zimmerman grounds out, Adam LaRoche walks and Michael Morse grounds into a 5-4-3 double play. It tastes like burning. 

Kyle Lohse has thrown only 25 pitches in the last three innings. 

Top 8th: Tyler Clippard makes an appearance and follows Zimmermann's lead, striking out Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday, the Cardinals' fourth and fifth consecutive strikeout. Clippard, however, breaks the streak when he walks Allen Craig. but he gets Yadier Molina to swing and miss to end the inning.

The Nats' pitchers are doing their part. St. Louis has not put a ball in play since the sixth inning. 

"Chicken [Poop]": That is what Nationals GM Mike Rizzo called the unnamed aspect of the USA Today story that detailed other executives' disdain for the Nats over Stephen Strasburg's shutdown. 

Bottom 8th: Mitchell Boggs gets both Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa, but walks Kurt Suzuki. Pinch hitter Chad Tracy strikes out. Boo-urns. 

Top 9th: Drew Storen strikes out David Freese, who is the Cardinals' seventh straight strikeout victim. Daniel Descalso is No. 8. Pete Kozma walks, his third of the game. Matt Carpenter pinch hits for Mitchell Boggs and finally puts a ball in play, but Ian Desmond makes a great diving catch in left field to end the inning with the top of Washington's order due up.

Bottom 9th: Jayson Werth falls behind 0-2, but battles back for a 13-pitch at-bat and smacks a home run to left field to win the game for the Nationals!

(Photo credit: Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

The St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Nationals 8-0 Wednesday in Game Three of the National League Divisional Series, leaving the Nats one game from elimination in the city's first baseball playoffs since 1933.

Capital Games blogger Adam Vingan covered each play of the game. Here's how it unfolded:

---

Top 1st: The Cardinals pick up where they left off during Monday's 12-4 rout. Allen Craig smokes a two-out double down the left-field line that makes it all the way to the corner. Matt Holliday chugs home from first to give St. Louis a 1-0 lead. 

Bottom 1st: Jayson Werth leads off with Washington's first postseason hit in 79 years, which is followed by Bryce Harper's long fly out to deep right field, Washington's first postseason fly out in 79 years. Ryan Zimmerman reaches on an error, which happens to be the first error in postseason play in Washington in 79 years. Adam LaRoche follows that by reaching on a fielder's choice, which is the first fielder's choice in October in Washington in 79 years. Michael Morse strikes out to end the inning, the first...I'll stop.

Rockin' The Red...Contacts: Bryce Harper decided against slathering his face in motor oil again Wednesday, but did decide to rock the red contact lenses (photo courtesy of Michael Jenkins):

Top 2nd: The second inning has not been kind to the Nationals so far in this series. Gio Gonzalez got roughed up, Jordan Zimmermann got roughed up and now Edwin Jackson is feeling the Cardinals' wrath. David Freese doubles to left. Daniel Descalso then singles to left. With two men on, Pete Kozma hammers a three-run homer to left to give St. Louis an early 4-0 lead. At least Michael Morse didn't have to run after that one? Looking for some positives, people.

The Cardinals have scored 10 of their 18 runs so far in this series in the second inning. MLB Network decides to bring up Stephen Strasburg, because of course this is the perfect time to do that. 

Bottom 2nd: With Ian Desmond on first, Danny Espinosa lays down a bunt and appears to beat the throw to first, but umpire Jim Joyce begs to differ and calls Espinosa out. This is not the first time that Joyce has screwed up a call in that area. He may or may not have cost Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game once, and by "may or may not," I mean "definitely did."

Oh, and the Nationals failed to score. Still 4-0.

Top 3rd: Matt Holliday leads off with a single, giving the Cardinals seven hits with only six outs. Edwin Jackson finally gets his first strikeout by fanning Allen Craig and forces Yadier Molina to ground into a double play. 

Bottom 3rd: Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper both fly out. MLB Network's Sam Ryan explains that Harper's contacts, which "[look] like something out of the 'Twilight' movie," are tinted and serve as sunglasses. Now I can't stop thinking about Harper brooding over some chick that bites her lips too much. Thanks, MLB Network. Bob Costas also makes a "clown question" joke. He laughs at it, but nobody else does.

Ryan Zimmerman singles, but Adam LaRoche flies out. St. Louis still leads 4-0.

Top 4th: Edwin Jackson strikes out two and seems to be settling in. If only he would have done that an hour ago.

Mid 4th: The Racing Presidents reprise their "Gangnam Style" routine and Teddy wins his second consecutive race. If the Nationals don't win the World Series, I'm blaming him.

Bottom 4th: Nothing doing here. Still 4-0. It's Teddy's fault somehow.

Top 5th: You know you're having a rough day as a starting pitcher when you give up two hits to the opposing starter. Chris Carpenter, who already had a single, takes Edwin Jackson deep to left, but misses a home run by only a few feet and settles for a double. Jackson, however, redeems himself, striking out Allen Craig with runners on first and third to end the top half of the inning.

Bottom 5th: Roger Bernadina bats for Edwin Jackson, whose day is done after five innings, eight hits and four runs. He flies out. Jayson Werth walks, Bryce Harper pops out (he is batting 1-for-13 in the series) and Ryan Zimmerman singles to put runners on the corners for Adam LaRoche. LaRoche walks, and with the bases loaded, Michael Morse...flies out. St. Louis holds onto its 4-0 lead.

Top 6th: Craig Stammen plunks Yadier Molina to open the inning. David Freese crushes Stammen's offering to deep right. Jayson Werth attempts to make the leaping catch, but his glove just misses the ball and Freese is safe at second with a double. Daniel Descalso drives in Molina from third with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0 Cardinals. Bob Costas talks about Molina's deceptive speed after calling him "chunky." Chris Carpenter strikes out to end the Cardinals' portion of the inning.

Bottom 6th: Ian Desmond continues his hot streak, singling to left center to lead off the inning. He is now 7-for-11 during the series. Danny Espinosa strikes out and Kurt Suzuki flies out. Steve Lombardozzi pinch hits for Stammen and singles, giving the Nationals two runners on with two outs and ending Chris Carpenter's day after 5.2 solid innings. Trevor Rosenthal quells the threat by getting Jayson Werth to fly out in foul territory. St. Louis keeps its 5-0 lead.

Washington has left 10 men on base today and 29 in the series. Oofa.

Top 7th: All you need to know is that Christian Garcia walked Yadier Molina with the bases loaded to gift wrap another run for the Cardinals. It's 6-0 now.

Mid 7th Special Rant: So you know when they sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch? And you know how the lyrics say, "I don't care if I ever get back?" I personally care. I'd like to go home at some point. I don't understand how none of you want to. Rant over.

BONUS TWEET: This wins the day.

The Nats wish Romney would have gotten rid of this big bird. RT @ken_rosenthal: #Nationals were 2-for-16 with men on base against Carpenter

— Jason Stewart (@JasonStewart) October 10, 2012

Ha. Political humor.

Bottom 7th: A 1-2-3 inning for Trevor Rosenthal. BORING.

Top 8th: The Nationals announce today's attendance at 45,017, which is the largest crowd in Nationals Park history. Too bad some of them have already started to leave...

C'mon, Nats fans, if you leave, then the terrorists Michael Wilbon wins!

The Cardinals add two more runs to take a commanding 8-0 lead. And here come the pretzels.

More Stephen Strasburg talk on MLB Network. Bob Costas says "you have to wonder what's passing through the mind of Stephen Strasburg these days." Ryan Mattheus curses loudly. The Nats aren't giving me much to work with here. 

Bottom 8th: We finally get some "Take On Me" action, but Michael Morse flies out. You're not going to get an A-ha reunion that way, D.C. Still 8-0. 

Ian Desmond flies out, which comes as a surprise, and Danny Espinosa strikes out, which doesn't.

Top 9th: Nothing exciting. St. Louis takes its 8-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth.

Bottom 9th: Joe Kelly ends a disappointing postseason home opener for the Nationals by striking out Kurt Suzuki, forcing Chad Tracy to ground out to third and Bryce Harper to fly out to center. St. Louis wins 8-0.

That's all for today. Thank you for putting up with me for over three hours. Washington faces elimination Thursday against Kyle Lohse (16-3 this season) at 4:07 p.m. Ross Detwiler will oppose him.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Picture the Notebook at the ballpark for the first playoff home game in Washington in 79 years.

If a foul ball comes my way, my year will be complete, even if my son Peyton snags it first. Seven years of mostly also-ran seasons pale against the regionwide excitement over the Nationals’ success.

Of course, Washington almost didn’t get the baseball team.

“Baseball was never excited about going to Washington,” said Ward 2 D.C. Council member Jack Evans. “They didn’t like the history; they didn’t think the team could survive here,” he said on Friday’s WAMU 88.5 Politics Hour. Evans noted that had Virginia officials committed to floating stadium bonds, the team would be in northern Virginia.

• NEW TODAY: Nats NLCS Tickets Go on Sale

Evans was a lead architect of landing the team in the nation’s capital.

A full-throated debate can still erupt about whether the city should have committed $800 million in funding for the stadium. Couldn’t the money have been spent on other public needs?

Evans noted that the city borrowed almost $600 million for the stadium and is well on its way to paying off the bonds early through a utility tax, a business tax and dedicated sales taxes from the stadium itself. He said the city couldn’t simply borrow $600 million for more traditional government spending because there would be no additional revenue generated to pay the bonds.

“In about five years the real estate taxes that we are getting will more than pay for what the stadium [cost],” said Evans, the longtime chair of the council’s Finance and Revenue Committee.

Evans also points to the Verizon Center and the convention center, both of which he says generate millions more in taxes than the facilities cost to build. Although businessman Abe Pollin financed the Verizon Center itself, the city spent more than $100 million on land and infrastructure to prepare the site.

• PHOTOS: Nats Playoff Fever

On the Politics Hour, Evans said the council went through 12 different votes to commit to the stadium in order to draw the baseball team.

“On the council it was difficult. There were seven council members who stuck with this issue all the way through, and without them we wouldn’t have had it. And it starts with [former Chairman] Linda Cropp,” Evans recalled.

“Linda got a bad rap at the end,” he said. “She was trying to get a better deal for the city. It looked like it was going to impede baseball. But at the end of the day, without Linda Cropp’s leadership on that council we wouldn’t have gotten the baseball thing done.”

Evans laughed at one irony of the whole situation. He said Adrian Fenty opposed the stadium deal as the Ward 4 council member, insisting that old RFK could be renovated well enough.

“Adrian Fenty voted against it 12 times and [then] threw out the first pitch as mayor,” at the new stadium, Evans said. Fenty had succeeded Mayor Tony Williams, who threw the city’s weight behind the stadium deal along with a bare council majority.

But enough history.

Evans said each game of the division playoffs will generate, at minimum, almost $1 million in added sales taxes from concessions, merchandise and increased sales in any number of bars and restaurants showing the games.

“There’s no question, you get a World Series here, and you’ll sell out every hotel room in the city,” he said.

He said the added revenue more than pays for the additional public safety and transportation costs the city incurs to get people into and out of the stadium.

While we’re at it, let’s go all in on sports in this column.

What about the Washington Redskins returning someday to the District?

“It is a doable thing,” Evans said. “It’s not a question of if it will happen, but when it will happen. The Redskins have a lease in [Prince George’s County] until 2026. And at some time between now and 2026, there’s no doubt in my mind the Redskins will return to the city and build a brand-new stadium at the RFK site. That’s going to happen.”

Evans noted that he expects the football team to pay for any new stadium with the city picking up infrastructure costs. Many residential groups on Capitol Hill aren’t on board with Evans’s optimistic view. The residents are worried about overdevelopment and whether the big ’Skins operation would eat up valuable land that could go to other economic ideas, parks and recreation space. Evans says all of that can be worked out.

More sports? What about plans for a soccer stadium for D.C. United?

“I would say we are in final negotiations on the soccer stadium as well,” said Evans. He said the new ownership of the soccer team is more willing to put up money for a stadium, which could seat about 25,000 people. One key site is diagonally across South Capitol Street SW from the baseball stadium.

“It is a perfect area, bringing a lot of synergy with the baseball stadium,” Evans said. He also said there’s a lot of support for a soccer stadium because it doesn’t involve huge amounts of money.

Baseball, basketball, soccer and football: Evans has said his ultimate goal is for the city to bring in all of these big businesses to generate jobs, revenue and opportunities, in addition to the recreational goods like playoffs and the World Series.

Go Nats.

• VIDEO: Plan Ahead If You're Attending a Game

• A final word. Casual consumers of TV, radio and print media might never have known Bill Line. The spokesperson for the National Park Service here in the nation’s capital knew his job and wore his ranger hat with pride, even as he biked around the city.

District police confirmed this week that Line died Sunday in an apparent suicide at his home in the city he loved.

For many years, Line helped all manner of journalists understand and appreciate the Park Service. He was sometimes grumpy, and he was sometimes long-winded with his explanations of policy, but he was never bored nor too busy to speak to the media. Many a spokesperson could learn a thing or two from him.

Tickets for the Nationals' potential trip to the next round of the playoffs sold quickly Wednesday morning. By noon, only standing-room-only tickets remained for the series' home games.

Those SRO tickets cost $45.

The Nats made a maximum of two tickets per game per customer available beginning at 9 a.m. at nationals.com/postseason or by calling 888-632-NATS (6287).

More standing room tickets will be sold on the day of each game at the Nationals Park box office for $45 each. Those also will be limited to two tickets per transaction.

Those who place a deposit on full season tickets for 2013 get purchase priority on tickets for this postseason.

• NEW TODAY: Sherwood: Play Ball!

This postseason is the first the Nationals have made since they began play in Washington in 2005, after moving from Montreal. Wednesday’s NLDS Game 3 will be the first Major League Baseball postseason game in D.C. since the Washington Senators reached the World Series against the New York Giants in 1933. The Giants won in five games.

The Nats and St. Louis Cardinals split the first two games of the NLDS in St. Louis, so at least two more games will be played in that best-of-five series.

• PHOTOS: Nats Playoff Fever

If they take the current series, the Nats will host the NLCS against the winner of the series between the San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds (the Reds lead 2-1).

Games 1 and 2 will be played Sunday and Monday. If necessary, the series will return to D.C. for Games 6 and 7 on Oct. 21 and 22. Games times are to be determined.

All single-game purchases will be automatically refunded on the card used to purchase them in the event any of the games are unnecessary.

• VIDEO: Plan Ahead If You're Attending a Game

The box office opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday due to the 1:07 p.m. game time, but for all games starting at 2 p.m. or later, the box office is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until the game ends, and Sunday from 9 a.m. until the game ends.

Box office hours on non-game days are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Starting pitching was arguably the Washington Nationals' biggest strength during the regular season. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case so far in the playoffs.

The starters of Games 1 and 2, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann, lasted a combined eight innings, allowed eight hits, seven earned runs and seven walks (all Gonzalez's). Not so good.

If only the Nationals had another ace that they could turn to, one with a goatee whose name begins with "S" and ends with "Tephen Strasburg." They don't, but they wish they did.

According to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, an anonymous National told him that "if we had ‘Stras, we’d be up 2-0." 

Of course by now you probably know all about Strasburg's shutdown, which finally happened Sept. 8 after season-long speculation regarding his innings limit. I would go into further detail, but I assume that if you're reading this, you already know what it's about, and personally, all Strasburg and no play makes Adam something something. 

Meanwhile, another anonymous Nat said that “we’ve got to win [the World Series] to make ["The Shutdown"] go away." That may be, but as Rosenthal himself said, "no one can say for sure what might have happened if Strasburg had pitched, just as no one can say for sure that the Nationals chose the right course by shutting him down after his Sept. 7 start."

I guess we'll never know, but if the Nationals fail to win the pennant, be prepared for a winter of second-guessing, which is not as pleasant as a winter of certainty. Or something like that.

Help me, John Steinbeck. 

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

From our own Adam Tuss, News4's new transportation reporter:

"Unfortunate coincidence, an ad for CARDINAL bank at the bottom of Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro station," he said.

Not cool, Cardinal Bank. Not cool.

But as some commenters have already pointed out, at least you can walk all over the Cardinals?

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Ah, the classic sports-related bet between mayors of dueling cities. These are always fun.

They're never incredibly exciting, like the loser having to wear his wife's best dress while mowing the winner's lawn, but they're worth a chuckle.

Mostly, the bets involve swapping food and drink of some kind, like the time when New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg put bagels on the line against San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee's sourdough bread. He also bet on the naming rights to 49th Street, but you can't eat that. Or the time Bloomberg wagered a VIP trip to New York for a Boston family if the Patriots defeated the Giants in the Super Bowl.

I think we can all agree that Bloomberg is crazy, but this isn't about Bloomberg and his craziness.

Moving on, the mayor of our fair city, Vincent Gray, has agreed to a bet with St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay regarding the outcome of the ongoing postseason series between Gray's Nationals and Slay's Cardinals.

Here are the parameters:

The Mayors have agreed that, if the Nationals win the series, a special version of the DC flag emblazoned with the District’s “Taxation Without Representation” motto will fly over City Hall in downtown St. Louis for a day. Conversely, if the Cardinals take the series, St. Louis’ “three rivers” flag will fly over the District’s John A. Wilson Building (the seat of the Executive Office of the Mayor and the DC Council) for a day.

"We're no stranger to postseason play in St. Louis. So, we're thrilled to show the upstarts how to do it right," Slay said in a statement.  "I look forward to our City’s flag flying proudly over the John A. Wilson Building when our boys wrap this thing up."

Mr. Gray, your response?

“I look forward to the citizens of the City of St. Louis getting a lesson not only on the baseball diamond when the Nats take the series, but also in the uniquely unjust situation in which the District’s 618,000-plus residents find ourselves – denied voting representation in Congress and ultimate authority over our own budget and affairs – when our flag flies over Market Street in downtown St. Louis!”

Them's fighting words. I think. 

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Angry Birds? Angry Birds.

One day after letting a late 2-1 lead slip through their hands, the St. Louis Cardinals' offense awakened, crushing four home runs -- including two big ones by Carlos Beltran -- as they defeated the Washington Nationals 12-4 to tie the teams' National League Division Series at 1-1.

Beltran, Allen Craig and Daniel Descalso all went yard for St. Louis, who hammered Jordan Zimmermann early and often until he was mercifully pulled after three innings. 

Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche hit back-to-back homers in the fifth, but even then, the Nationals still trailed 7-3. Beltran's first home run put the Cardinals up 8-3 and his second gave them a commanding 11-4 lead in the eighth. Both teams combined for six home runs Monday after not hitting any Sunday. The 12 runs allowed by Washington are the most in Nationals/Expos postseason franchise history.

The series now shifts to D.C. for Game 3 Wednesday at Nationals Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1:07 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on MLB Network.

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Just call him "Merry" Tyler Moore because he turned on Washington with a single. 

The rookie's clutch pinch-hit, two-run single in the top of the eighth inning gave the Washington Nationals and their fans plenty to be happy about in a 3-2 Game 1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. 

It all started with a bit of subterfuge. With Michael Morse on third and Ian Desmond on second with two outs, Davey Johnson summoned the left-handed Chad Tracy to pinch hit against right-hander Mitchell Boggs. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny countered by calling left-hander Marc Rzepczynski from the bullpen, so Johnson went one step further and replaced Tracy with Moore, a right-hander. 

With the count at 2-2, Moore dropped a bloop single into shallow right field, allowing Morse and Desmond to come home to give Washington the lead. 

Moore's single lifted the Nationals to victory despite Gio Gonzalez's shaky outing. Even though Gonzalez only allowed one hit in five innings of work, he walked seven Cardinals, which tied a career-high, including four in the second inning alone. After walking the bases loaded in the second, Yadier Molina scored on a wild pitch, while Daniel Descalso came home on a sacrifice fly by John Jay as St. Louis took an early 2-1 that held up until Moore's single.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals wasted a strong start from Adam Wainwright, who struck out 10 and allowed just one run on six hits in 5.2 innings. 

Drew Storen finished off the Cardinals in the bottom of the ninth for the save, setting up Game 2 Monday afternoon at Busch Stadium.

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The Washington Nationals will face the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series. Game 1 is Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-3 Friday in the NL Wild Card matchup. The Cardinals' victory snapped the Braves' 23-game winning streak when Kris Medlen starts, a Major-League record that stretched back to 2010.

The Nationals faced the Cardinals seven times during the regular season, winning four of the games, but lost two of three in St. Louis Sept. 28-30 by a combined score of 26-12. Gio Gonzalez will start for Washington Sunday.

The schedule for the series is below. Games 1 and 2 will be in St. Louis before the series shifts to Nationals Park Wednesday for Games 3-5. All games will be broadcast on TBS.

Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 7 - 3:07 p.m. ET

Game 2: Monday, Oct. 8 - 4:37 p.m. ET

Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 10 - TBA

Game 4 (if necessary): Thursday, Oct. 11 - TBA

Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 12 - TBA

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"Although I grew up in the Northern Virginia DC area, I am currently an active duty Marine stationed in Camp Pendleton, CA. Even from across the country enjoyed watching the Nats play, I even got to see you guys when you played the Dodgers. You've been a breath of fresh air to the Nationals this season. Congratulations on your recent Divisional Championship! Bryce Harper, on November 9th will you go with me to the Marine Corps ball??"

That was the plea that Stephanie Butler posted on Harper's official Facebook fan page late Tuesday morning.  

"I was talking about it with my best friend," Butler said in a phone interview Thursday. "It was kinda like, 'I have nothing to lose. The worst case scenario, he never sees it.' I had nothing to lose, so why not try?"

You never know until you try, and since Tuesday, Butler's invitation has received more than 140 likes, and Harper's fan page has blown up with posts asking him to consider the offer.

Much like the fly balls that Harper has consistently snagged in the outfield since joining the Nationals in late April, Butler is quite the catch. The 21-year-old native of Vienna, Va., is a graduate of James Madison High School and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps three years ago, where she currently holds the rank of lance corporal.

Harper is certainly not the first celebrity who has been asked to attend the prestigious Marine Corps Ball, the branch's annual birthday celebration. Last year alone, Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis and Kristin Cavallari all accepted their respective invitations.

Butler, who is stationed at Camp Pendleton in Southern California, would love if Harper could attend her unit's ball Nov. 9 at Pala Casino.  

"To me, this whole season, he brought so much to the team," Butler said when asked why Harper caught her eye. "Maybe because he's young and it's the energy of youth, but he's been a complete breath of fresh air to the team. He definitely stood out in my mind."

Butler and Harper might be on opposite sides of the country, but according to Butler, they both are responsible for "doing things for somebody else," which, like the Marine Corps Ball, brings everybody together. 

"It's a huge deal to all [Marines] because it celebrates the Marine Corps' birthday," she continued. "It's the one time of year where you get everybody together, regardless of rank. It really brings everybody together.

"I think it would be really cool of him," she continued. "We do so much. We really, really do. The military is really underappreciated. Day in and day out, we give everything we have. It'd be really cool of him to give back."

Think about it? Hardly a clown question, bro.

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Major League Baseball announced starting times for the first few games of the 2012 Division Series Friday, and the Washington Nationals will open their first trip to the postseason Sunday afternoon against either the Atlanta Braves or St. Louis Cardinals at 3:07 p.m. ET.

Their opponent will be determined by the outcome of today's Braves-Cardinals match-up, a one-game Wild Card playoff Friday at 5:07 p.m. ET.

The winner will host the Nats Sunday and Monday. The series then will shift to Nationals Park Wednesday for Game 3.

The Nats took four of seven against the Cardinals this season, and 10 of 18 against the Braves. 

Sunday's start time provides an interesting predicament for Washington sports fans. The Redskins play at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, meaning that the fourth quarter will likely coincide with the start of the baseball game. That problem will be felt in two cities Sunday if the Braves win; the Redskins happen to be playing the Falcons Sunday. 

Below is the schedule for the Nationals' first playoff series as we know it right now. All games will be broadcast on TBS.

Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 7 - 3:07 p.m. ET

Game 2: Monday, Oct. 8 - 4:37 p.m. ET

Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 10 - TBA

Game 4 (if necessary): Thursday, Oct. 11 - TBA

Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 12 - TBA

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The following sentiment is something I'm sure Washington sports fans never thought they'd extend: Thank you, Pittsburgh.

The Nationals did not defeat the Philadelphia Phillies Monday, but the Atlanta Braves' 2-1 loss to the Pirates gave the Nats their first-ever division title in D.C. and D.C. its first title in the Major Leagues since 1933. Philadelphia defeated Washington 2-0, but that didn't stop the latter from popping bottles of champagne in the locker room.

With the division wrapped up, the Nationals will now wait for their National League Division Series opponent to be determined. They could either face the Braves or St. Louis Cardinals, who will likely face each other in a one-game playoff Friday, or the San Francisco Giants. 

That depends on whether or not Washington finishes with the National League's best record. The Cincinnati Reds, who entered Monday tied with the Nationals for that distinction, lost 4-2 to the Cardinals to fall one game back. Washington holds the tiebreaker due to more head-to-head victories, so Cincinnati must finish with a better record to earn the No. 1 seed. 

Because of an odd scheduling quirk this year, the Nationals will begin their postseason debut on the road for the first two games. Games 3, 4 and 5 (4 and 5 if necessary) will be held at Nationals Park.

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If you are headed to what could be the Nationals last playoff game Friday, biking may be the best way to get to the game, especially with the game likely to end close to or during rush hour, News4 Transportation Reporter Adam Tuss reported.

Capital Bikeshare again will have a special corral at First and N streets in Northeast for Friday's game. Attendants will be at the site to check in bikes.

Crowds are expected again at Metro stations near the stadium and at major transfer stations such as L'Enfant Plaza, but Metro should still be a better option than driving, given the road closures planned near the stadium.

“We encourage fans to come early, stay late, and take transit if they can,” said Terry Bellamy, Director of the District Department of Transportation. “And even if you’re not attending the game, you need a game plan to ensure you don’t get caught in the traffic.”

READ our complete Nationals playoffs coverage here.

DDOT will deploy dozens of traffic control officers and other personnel at intersections around Nationals Park today, working with officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to direct traffic. Road Operations Patrol units will be nearby to assist disabled vehicles, and engineers will monitor traffic and remotely adjust the signal timing to mitigate delays, DDOT said.

ROAD CLOSURES

Several streets in the District will be closed for the Nationals' home playoff games this week.

D.C. Police said that the following streets will be closed starting at noon on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. They will stay closed until police say it is safe to reopen them.

The streets are:

• N Street SE, from 1st Street to S. Capitol Street closed at 2:30 p.m.


• Half Street SE from M Street to N Street, closed at 2:30 p.m.


• Van Street SE, from M Street to N Street, closed at 2:30 p.m. and accessible to taxis and stadium traffic.


• 1st Street SE, from M Street south to Potomac Avenue will be closed at about 6 p.m. and accessible to stadium traffic only.


• Potomac Avenue SE, from S. Capitol to 1st Street will be closed at about 6 p.m. and accessible to stadium traffic only  

In addition, traffic on Van Street SE will be one way (southbound) during games.

METRO

Metro is adding extra Green Line trains to move fans to and from the game, as it does for most Nats games, Metro spokesman Dan Stessel told Tuss.

The transit agency also offered tips for riders:

• Nationals games will have the potential to add thousands of additional riders onto the system during already busy travel periods. Whenever possible, fans are encouraged to plan a route to the ballpark that avoids downtown transfer stations during rush hours.


• For example, riders traveling to/from stations the eastern side of the Red Line should consider connecting to Green Line service at Fort Totten, rather than Gallery Place.


• Blue and Orange line customers should consider using Capitol South Station, rather than Navy Yard-Ballpark Station, to avoid transferring at L’Enfant Plaza or Metro Center. Capitol South Station is located 0.8 miles from the ballpark via First Street SE.


• After the game, customers connecting to Yellow Line trains toward Huntington should consider making the transfer at Archives Station, rather than L’Enfant Plaza.


• Navy Yard-Ballpark Station has two entrances. Half Street is slightly closer to the ballpark and often gets very crowded. Meanwhile, the New Jersey Avenue entrance is a short three-block walk from the ballpark and is usually significantly less crowded. Both entrances are equipped with elevators, in addition to escalators.


• To avoid potentially long vending machine lines after the game, National fans are reminded to load enough value on their paper farecard or SmarTrip for their entire roundtrip. Customers using paper farecards pay $1 more per trip than those using SmarTrip. SmarTrip cards can be purchased in advance at local CVS and Giant Food stores, Metro Sales offices, regional transit stores, online at smartrip.com, or at 47 Metrorail stations.


• Metro operates a combination of six-car and eight-car trains. Often, the last two cars of eight-car trains are the least crowded. Take note of the number of cars on the platform information displays. Spread out along the platform to take advantage of the additional space of eight-car trains whenever possible.


• Before and after each post-season game, Metro will operate additional trains on the Green Line to provide extra capacity for Nationals fans traveling to and from the ballpark. The additional trains will operate between Mt. Vernon Square and Anacostia Stations, making stops Gallery Place, Archives, L’Enfant Plaza, Waterfront and Navy Yard-Ballpark.

Metro will delay the start of scheduled track work until Nats crowds get through the system after Friday night's game. If the Nats win the series and move on to National League Championship Series, Metro will end track work early for Game 1 Sunday.

The 74, P1, P2, V7, V8 and V9 Metrobus lines go to the stadium. Circulator buses traveling from Nary Yard, Eastern Market and Union Station will run until 1 a.m. or the end of the game.

TAXIS

Taxi drop-offs will be limited in the stadium area, the taxi commission said. They are restricted to both sides of Van Street SE which is located north of the stadium, between N and M streets SE.

Pick-ups are restricted to the designated taxicab stand. The line will form on the north side of the unit block of M Street SE, extending east. No cabs are allowed to stop on M Street SE or on S. Capitol Street. No cruising south of M Street SE will be allowed.

Cabs are NOT authorized to charge an additional fare for each additional passenger after the first passenger on any day.

The D.C. Taxicab Commission will not enforce an additional passenger charge for Washington Nationals home playoff games after all.

The DCTC announced Wednesday a $1 charge for each passenger after the first passenger on trips to and from the stadium.

But D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray quickly rejected the idea, DCTC Chairman Ron Linton told News4's Tom Sherwood.

The surcharge plan was rescinded Thursday.

Taxis will still be allowed to line up on M Street.

D.C. transportation officials and police also are worried about crowd control. Extra staff will be spread out almost a mile from the station to keep traffic moving.

“We're going to do the best we can to manage those crowds,” D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said. “It's not just cars. It's pedestrians and everybody tends to all go at one time.”

Why buy a used ball, bat, base or lineup card when.you can take home an empty bottle of Dom Perignon?

The Nationals are selling the remains of the team's post-game celebration from last night for $100 per bottle (there were 60 opened/sprayed Monday). Corks are going for $50. They were available Tuesday and wll be Wednesday with all proceeds benefitting the team's Dream Foundation.

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Winning cures everything. Well, not allergies or meat, but it does cure television ratings!

According to Sports Business Journal, the Washington Nationals' 74 percent increase in television ratings this season is the highest in the majors. The Nats' 2.54 rating is quite impressive when you consider that on this very date last year, the Nats were in the bottom five in terms of overall average ratings and dead last in average audience size per game, with a paltry 29,000 viewers.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles saw the fourth-highest increase in ratings at 42.2 percent. MASN and MASN2 must be thrilled.

Tonight's Nationals game against the Philadelphia Phillies -- who saw a nearly 39 percent drop in their ratings this season, worst in the majors -- is the last one being broadcast on MASN (the postseason is covered nationally), so sit back, relax and get your fill of local color while you still can.

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It was not a good year in Philadelphia if you're a baseball fan. The Phillies' streak of five consecutive NL East titles was snapped and they will watch the postseason from home for the first time since 2006.

Baseball's resurgence in Washington had a lot to do with that. That is, unless you're Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins.

"They had a good year," Rollins said to reporters after the Nationals' 5-1 win Wednesday. "They’re a talented team. It’s all come together for them, so that’s great for them, but wiith us healthy, they’re a second-place team. But we weren’t."

Yes, the Phillies missed several of their regulars throughout the season, from Chase Utley to Roy Halladay, but so did the Nats; Michael Morse, Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond all had extended stints on the disabled list and they still finished in first place. Look, Jummy, it's not the Nationals' fault that Ryan Howard broke his toe while standing in the on-deck circle.

File this under "Loser, Sore." 

(H/T Nats Enquirer)

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Earlier today, I asked the Twitterverse why baseball teams seem to celebrate excessively earlier than teams in other sports (i.e. champagne showers after clinching playoff berths/division titles). Admittedly, I am not a baseball fan, but I was told qualifying for the postseason after the grind of a 162-game season is worth a little alcohol-infused mayhem. 

While that explanation makes sense, it seems that I may not have been the only one to think this way.

Congrats to the washington nationals for winning the world ser....I mean clinching a playoff spot!

— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) October 2, 2012

Dustin Penner is a forward for the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, who won their first Stanley Cup in June. The city threw a huge parade for their conquering heroes as confetti rained down from the California skies like...rain. 

So as not to sound like a complete jerk, Penner later clarified his previous statement with another one:

Hey I'm happy for the nats. Have a friend on the team just think the celebration was a bit excessive. #lotmoreworkleftodo

— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) October 2, 2012 

Penner has a point. The Nationals are currently experiencing unprecedented success, but they have to return to their champagne, beer and apple cider-soaked locker room this evening and finish the season strong -- they did lose last night's game, after all -- to carry momentum into the postseason. 

For now, the Nationals will put away the goggles and place whatever champagne is left back on ice, which is sadly more than what Penner can say right now. 

And hey, if the Nats wins the World Series, perhaps they and Penner could swap championship stories over pancakes. 

(H/T SB Nation D.C.)

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My fellow D.C. residents, our long Nationals nightmare is over.

After six years of being tripped, disqualified, distracted by magic, jugglers and Twitter and tackled by fruit drink spokespitchers, Teddy finally won his first Presidents Race at Nationals Park Wednesday, snapping a 538-race losing streak. 

There had been rumblings that Teddy would finally earn his first career victory Wednesday, and after recent pep talks from Johns McCain and Cena as well as the Nationals themselves, he took advantage of interference from a Phillie Phanatic imposter and crossed the finish line with his arms raised.

The only president in U.S. history that could empathize with Teddy in regards to being ridiculed for so long is George W. Bush (though, to be fair, you all elected Bush twice; I wasn't allowed to vote until 2007), but not anymore.

"I'm just getting warmed up!" Teddy tweeted. "Time to get ready for the postseason! You ain't seen nothing yet! The Rough Rider has arrived!"

With his first win in the history books, Teddy now has more victories in presidential races than McCain, John Kerry, Ralph Nader, Ross Perot, Bob Dole, Michael Dukakis and Walter Mondale combined. 

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Twitter blew up after Teddy won his first Presidents Race Wednesday as #Teddyin2012 trended nationwide, proving that this was truly a monumental moment or that we all just care about mascots a little too much.

Either way, many notable people took to Twitter to voice their excitement:

George, the GWU mascot:

From a President who's always known what it's like to be first, congratulations Teddy. #Teddyin2012 #Nats

— George Washington (@GWGeorge) October 3, 2012

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray:

CONGRATULATIONS, TEDDY! #Teddyin2012 @nationals

— Vincent C. Gray (@mayorvincegray) October 3, 2012

New York Senator Chuck Schumer:

this marks Teddy’s first victory since defeating fellow NYer Judge Alton Parker in a landslide 108 yrs ago #TeddyIn12

— Chuck Schumer (@ChuckSchumer) October 3, 2012

TNT NBA analyst (and D.C. native) David Aldridge:

Teddy. Victorious. Finally.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) October 3, 2012

Arizona Senator John McCain:

#Teddy won! #Teddy won! #Teddy won! We've defeated the massive left wing conspiracy!

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) October 3, 2012

The National Park Foundation:

@mlb_pr this is a fine day for our country! Teddy was a champion of many things, among them, the national parks & #natitude #Teddyin2012

— Natl Park Foundation (@GoParks) October 3, 2012

And of course, Teddy:

I'm just getting warmed up! Time to get ready for the postseason! You ain't seen nothing yet! The Rough Rider has arrived!

— Teddy Roosevelt (@Teddy26Nats) October 3, 2012

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