“Often, bumpy roads lead to beautiful places, and this is a beautiful place.”
Those were the famous words of Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez after an NLCS victory against the St. Louis Cardinals en route to their 2019 World Series title.
The bumpy road Martinez was referencing was the journey from 19-31 in late May that went to and all the way through October. And as anyone associated with the Nationals will agree, that really was the most beautiful of places.
However, less than three years later, they appear to be on a slightly different bumpy path.