Going 1-0 today has not been quite so important to the Washington Nationals since October, when they rallied from a 3-games-to-2 deficit on the road to win the World Series.
After splitting a doubleheader with the Miami Marlins on Friday, the Nationals are 19-30. A loss today would put them at 19-31. That’s the same mark that triggered their remarkable comeback to eventually win it all last season.
But it’s different this year. There’s nothing particularly mystical or magical about that particular record; it just happened to be the point where the team turned the 2019 season around.