Nationals complete NLCS sweep of Cardinals, punch ticket to World Series

The Nationals will officially appear in the World Series for the first time in franchise history. The team that had a 19-31 record in late May, putting manager Dave Martinez on the hot seat, improbably fought back to snag a Wild Card slot, won the play-in game, beat the heavily-favored Dodgers in five games in the NLDS, and polished off a sweep of the Cardinals in the NLCS on Tuesday night, winning 7-4. After Patrick Corbin tossed a scoreless top of the first inning, the Nationals' offense wasted no time getting to work.