What you missed at midnight: A primer to the Washington Nationals’ last nine games on the West Coast

Flash forward to tomorrow: You go to the office, or school, or wherever you spend your days, and run into the most intense Nationals fan you know. They, knowing that you follow the Nats intently, say, “Hey, how about the game last night!”

“Yeah, the game!,” you reply, desperately searching your mind for answers as to exactly what happened. The game, the game, you think. Then it hits you: You didn’t watch the game last night. The game went past midnight. You’re a sane person, and didn’t stay up past midnight. Then something else hits you: You didn’t watch the night before. Or the night before. Or before, or before, or before. Because the games went past midnight, and you’re a sane person.

After fleeing your coworker or whoever, you decide to check the box scores. But the box scores don’t tell the full story.

And hey, why did Bryce Harper miss three games in a row?

That’s when you stumble upon this post: a full guide to the most exciting parts of the Nats’ nine-game, three city, California adventure.

Game 1 - May 29th vs Giants: Let’s throw punches about something that happened three years ago because why not...

Also, the Nationals won 3-0 and Tanner Roark pitched really well. But most importantly: you can buy Hunter Strickland’s jersey from the game.

Game 2 - May 30th vs Giants: Waiting on edge for the second part of the brawl

Here’s how it was supposed to go down: Gio Gonzalez plunks Buster Posey in the first or second inning. Nats retaliate. Another brawl. Huzzah.

Here’s how it went down: Nothing happened. The Nationals won 6-3. Nothing notable occurred. If your friend asks you about this one, just say, “It was a normal game except the bullpen didn’t implode.”

Game 3 - May 31st vs Giants: The Scherzer show (I)

Max Scherzer went nine innings on 100 pitches in the Nats’ 3-1 win (a score that historically struggles in Oakland), and the only run he gave up came on a miscommunication between Jayson Werth and Michael A. Taylor. His strikeout total, however, was low, only setting down eleven on strikes. For shame, Max. For shame.

Game 4 - June 2nd vs Athletics: In which the Nats score a few runs.

Thirteen of them, to be exact, a 13-3 win. But did you see all of them? Most likely not.

Game 5 - June 3rd vs Athletics: In which Joe Ross gives up like, one or two runs.

Ryon Healy went 4-4. With three RBI. And two homers. Joe Ross was not good. At all. The Nats lost 10-4. This is fine. He’s doing well. This is fine.

Game 6 - June 4th vs Athletics: THIS IS FINE!

The Nats had a 6-3 lead heading into the top of the ninth. Which turned into an 11-4 lead. Which, after a few singles and a walk given up by Koda Glover, turned into an 11-6 lead. Which, after Shawn Kelley came in and allowed a grand slam, turned into an 11-10 lead. Which was the final score.

NEVER A DOUBT, NO SIR, NOT ONE.

Oh, and Trea Turner had a mid-game snack because he’s a growing boy:

Plus: Natscar racing!

Game 7 - June 5th vs Dodgers: Holy Gio! (And the bullpen, is this a thing now?).

The Nationals played good, clean baseball without too much excitement against the Dodgers on Monday night. Gio Gonzalez went six innings and only allowed two runs, while the bullpen came in and got nine (relatively painless) outs in a 4-2 win.

Also, Trea Turner made a pretty slick play:

Oh, and Bryce Harper met up again with the kid he helped with a “promposal”.

Game 8 - June 6th vs Dodgers: The Scherzer show (II)

Trea Turner led off the game with an infield hit, then proceeded to steal second, steal third, and score on a Bryce Harper sac fly.

That’s all Max Scherzer would really need, striking out 14 over 7 scoreless innings.

Oh, and Max Scherzer got a little insane there towards the end:

The Nats would win, 2-1, but Koda Glover and Yasiel Puig very nearly added a post-game brawl to the mix, as the two exchanged... er, words after Glover struck out Puig (on a super nasty 94 MPH slider) to end the game.

(Also, shoutout to Ryan Zimmerman for being the official guardian of the Nats’ young guys.)

Game 9 - June 7th vs Dodgers: Hey, at least they got something off of Kershaw!

Ryan Zimmerman achieved the impossible, hitting an early solo shot off of the world’s best pitcher/almost certainly a cyborg Clayton Kershaw.

Unfortunately for the good guys, a few errors and a Corey Seager home run gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead, which was the final score of the game.

But on the bright side:

So, uh, yeah. Not bad.