They weren’t alone as Sanchez teased a no-hitter into the eighth inning and flummoxed the Cardinals in their one-hit, 2-0 loss to the Nationals in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series that was closed by Sean Doolittle. With a mix of sinkers and off-speed pitches that capitalized on a friendly strike zone, Washington’s righthander came four outs shy of the first full-game no-hitter thrown against the Cardinals in St. Louis since 1906. Sanchez didn’t overpower the Cardinals as much as work over the Cardinals.
The shutout allows the Nationals to seize home-field advantage in the best-of-seven series — something their better record would have earned them had the Cardinals not won the National League Central title.