Jake Peavy and the San Francisco Giants barely came away with a 3-2 victory in Game 1 against the Washington Nationals. Game 2 on Saturday promises to bring even more fireworks with a huge pitching duel.
Much like Friday's matchup, a veteran starter for the Giants will face off with a young hurler for the Nationals. Tim Hudson, 39, will do battle with Jordan Zimmermann, a 28-year-old who has one start in the postseason.
Outside of two seventh-inning home runs by Bryce Harper and Asdrubal Cabrera, it was San Francisco's pitching staff that got the better of Washington's lineup. The Giants lineup finished with a .324 average in Game 1 but will have a difficult time keeping that up against Zimmermann.
Here's a look at the schedule, viewing info and breakdown of Game 2 of the National League Division Series.
NLDS Game 2 Information
Where: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
When: Saturday, Oct. 4 at 5:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox Sports 1
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Game Preview
Here's the thing about pitching in the postseason: Having experience can sometimes trump talent. However, despite his nine starts in the playoffs, Hudson has just one win to show for it.
The 16-year veteran boasts a 3.46 ERA in the playoffs along with a 3.57 ERA this season. Leading up to the series, Hudson had some interesting comments about the postseason, per Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post:
Obviously they have a talented group over there, there's no question. They have some great pitching. But come playoff time, talent can take you a long ways, but what do you have between your legs? That's going to take you real far. And I think we've got a group in here that really has some of that.
Ironically enough, Hudson has never been on a team that has advanced out of the division series. Not with the Oakland Athletics or Atlanta Braves, two teams that fell short on six different occasions with Hudson as a member of the rotation.
Meanwhile, Zimmermann has been the most consistent starter for the Nationals all season. His 2.66 ERA and 182 strikeouts are both career highs, and he's coming off a no-hitter in the season finale, per ESPN Stats & Info:
Along with the young talent on the mound, the Nats also have a wealth of power in the lineup. While a lot of that power failed to show up in Game 1, Harper made a huge statement at the plate.
Harper's 445-foot home run was not only a mammoth shot but also the biggest swing of his young career. ESPN Stats & Info points out just how huge the swing was for Harper's career:
Doing that on a postseason stage makes more than just memories, but it wasn't enough to change the outcome for the Nationals. If the batters ahead of him go a combined 2-for-17 as they did in Game 1, solo shots can only put a small dent in the score.
With a chance to go up 2-0 heading back to San Francisco, the Giants might be starting yet another postseason run. Thanks to a talented young roster, the Nats still have the arms and bats to get back in the series on Saturday.
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