The Nationals are here without Bryce Harper, who turned heel in Philadelphia. Martinez is here after a rushed return from emergency heart surgery. His team turned a 19-31 start into a wild-card coin flip, then dismissed the defending National League Central champion Milwaukee Brewers.
Since they last played here, they have toppled the 106-win Dodgers in the NLDS and turned back-to-back historic pitching performances from Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer into a two-game NLCS lead. The Nationals’ four-game postseason winning streak, with stellar starters Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin in line for Game 3 and 4, respectively, united liberals and conservatives alike beneath the Curly W.