The Nationals‘ second batter of the eighth inning Sunday represented this stage of the season.
“Now hitting, Spencer Kieboom.”
Kieboom spent most of the season playing catcher for the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. He was called up when Wilson Ramos was injured and lost for the remainder of the season. His first career major league at-bat came as the sun faded Sunday in the final game of the regular season. He walked.
The Washington Nationals finished the 162-game grind with an 10-7 win against the still-despondent Miami Marlins. All that matters now is Friday, when a spine-tingling pitching matchup between Cy Young candidate, and one-time winner, Max Scherzer and three-time winner Clayton Kershaw will take place to open the National League Division Series at Nationals Park.