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Wire Taps: Best and Worst from Game 2; Lobaton carries Nationals to win; Nats, Dodgers, sprint to L.A.

Catch up on the latest from the Nationals and Dodgers' NLDS matchup before the start of Game 3 this afternoon in LA.

By Will Kubzansky
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

At this point, we're essentially in a regular season series, where both teams have their 4th, 5th, and 1st starters going consecutively. Except for the fact that the order could change. And the stakes are much, much, much higher.

Here's the latest from Los Angeles.

Here's a good sign: Ryan Zimmerman is hitting the ball hard
Zim hit a third inning single against Clayton Kershaw on Friday that left his bat at 112.7 mph, per Statcast.

Los Angeles now has a definitive advantage in the bullpen
Los Angeles' death in the postseason has often come by bullpen meltdown. This year, that looks much less likely.

Best and worst from Game 2
Game 2 was a rollercoaster ride -- here's the best and the worst from Sunday's matinee.

What was with all the pigeons at Nats Park?
Did these pidgeons not understand the magnitude of the game? Was someone feeding them? Is Diamond-Dry actually bird food that looks like infield dirt?

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

Jose Lobaton, the unlikeliest of heroes, carries the team on his back (and on his shirt)
Lobaton ordered t-shirts for the clubhouse, which said "recta carne", which translates directly to "fastball meat". On Sunday, he enjoyed a steady diet of curveball meat, depositing one into the left field bullpen.

Is it possible that Max Scherzer will pitch Game 4 on short rest?
Scherzer and the team have discussed the possibility, but nothing is set in stone. That being said, a lot depends on how Gio Gonzalez does today.

Nationals, Dodgers, sprint across the country
First pitch on Sunday was 1:08 PM eastern -- but the game itself took 3 hours and 55 minutes, finishing the game off in the five o' clock hour. Today, first pitch will be thrown at 4:08 PM eastern, meaning both teams had less than 24 hours to pack up, get to L.A., sleep, and start all over again.

Today's Game: Nationals vs Dodgers - 1:08 PM (MLB Network, ESPN Radio, WJFK)
Probable Pitchers: Gio Gonzalez (11-11, 4.57 ERA) vs Kenta Maeda (16-11, 3.48 ERA)

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