Wire Taps: Winter approaches; NLDS Game 4 to be played at 5:38; Nationals on brink of another disappointment

The Nats have 27 outs remaining this season. 27 outs to score some runs, to get some hits, to do something — anything — to force a Game 5. They’ve been here twice before, succeeded once, failed another time. There’s no telling what this time will bring. With that said, enjoy these nine innings. It’s unclear when the next nine will come, as it is unclear as to when the Nats’ next nine postseason innings will come.

For potentially the last time this season, here’s what’s going on at Wrigley:

Winter is coming, and the Nats can either fix their anemic offense, or spend another winter wondering what happened
The Nats are hitting .083 outside of the eighth inning of Game 2. They have eleven hits in three games. In other words, the offensive output has been absolutely pathetic, and nobody knows how to fix it -- and it's way, way too late to wait it out.

Plenty of decisions to second-guess in Game 3, but who's to say they were wrong?
The strategy didn't work for Dusty and the Nats yesterday. They didn't intentionally walk Anthony Rizzo, they didn't bring in the right man, etc. But Oliver Perez did his job, and the ball found grass.

Nats-Cubs will be at 5:38 PM ET, weather permitting
The Nats have to win Game 4 to keep their season alive, though mother nature may extend it by a day without the Nats seeing a single pitch.

Trea Turner off to extremely slow start in the playoffs
Trea Turner is really, really, really, really struggling. And that's a *huge* problem.

Yet again, the Nationals are on the brink of postseason disappointment
When every odd is in their favor, when everything is tilted the Nats' way, they just don't win. They never have, and seemingly never will. What went wrong? Well, everything.

Nats still searching for answers after another one-run playoff loss
The offense went silent, and the bullpen blinked. Yet another October afternoon in Nationals baseball.

Cubs "rally" late to turn tables, steal NLDS Game 3 from Max Scherzer
Max Scherzer dominated, but the Cubs capitalized on Dusty Baker's questionable bullpen decisions, and the Nats lost again.

Dealt a bad hand, Scherzer looked like an ace in first (and potentially last) playoff start this season
Max Scherzer overcame a hamstring injury and did more than enough to secure a victory -- but the Nats' bats let him down and left him with the no-decision.

When did Mike Rizzo become a Cubs fan? Try the summer of 1969
Mike Rizzo was 8 years old growing up in Chicago, just five miles away from Wrigley. He knows Wrigley Field and the Cubs inside and out. He also, inconveniently for 8-year-old Mike, wants to eliminate them.

Mets to purchase Nationals' Triple-A affiliate Syracuse Chiefs
The Nats' affiliation ends with the Chiefs next season, ending a ten-year relationship between the teams. It's unclear where the Nats go from here.

Why do the Nats always forget how to hit in the postseason?
The Nationals have wasted elite starting pitching, game after game, season after season in the playoffs, and this year is no exception.

Rubber chicken sacrifice planned outside Nats Park for Tuesday afternoon
Y'know, whatever works, right?

The Nationals, year in and year out, keep torturing their fan base in October
It's *always* one-run losses, always in the late innings.

Today’s Game (weather permitting): Nationals vs Cubs — 5:38 PM (TBS)
Probable Pitchers: Tanner Roark vs Jake Arrieta