LOS ANGELES -- Howie Kendrick hit a tiebreaking grand slam off Joe Kelly in the 10th inning, and the Washington Nationals overcame a three-run deficit with a late rally to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-3 Wednesday night and advance to the National League Championship Series against St. Louis.
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw blew a 3-1 lead by allowing home runs to Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto on consecutive pitches in the eighth.
The wild-card Nationals open the NLCS at St. Louis on Friday night. The seven-time defending NL West champion Dodgers, who led the NL with 106 victories, remain without a World Series title since 1988.
Adam Eaton walked against Kelly leading off the 10th, Rendon doubled on a drive that lodged in the left-field wall, and Soto was intentionally walked.
Kendrick fouled off a pitch, then hit a 97 mph fastball just over the wall in center for his second career slam. The other one was a game-ending, 11th-inning drive against San Francisco in August 2017.
Daniel Hudson got the win, retiring Will Smith on a drive to the right-field warning track with one on and one out in the ninth, then getting Chris Taylor on a liner to center.
Sean Doolittle pitched the 10th for the Nationals.
The Nationals/Montreal Expos franchise won a postseason series for only the second time, and the first since the Expos beat Philadelphia in a 1981 division series caused by the midseason players' strike.
At a glance
MLB POSTSEASON
All times Central
DIVISION SERIES (BEST-OF-5)
National League
THURSDAY, OCT. 3
St. Louis 7, Atlanta 6
LA Dodgers 6, Washington 0
FRIDAY, OCT. 4
Atlanta 3, St. Louis 0
Washington 4, LA Dodgers 2
SUNDAY, OCT. 6
Atlanta 3, St. Louis 1
LA Dodgers 10, Washington 4
MONDAY’S GAMES
St. Louis 5, Atlanta 4 (10)
Washington 6, LA Dodgers 1
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
St. Louis 13, Atlanta 1
St. Louis wins series 3-2
Washington 7, LA Dodgers 3 (10)
Washington wins series 3-2
American League
FRIDAY, OCT. 4
NY Yankees 10, Minnesota 4
Houston 6, Tampa Bay 2
SATURDAY, OCT. 5
NY Yankees 8, Minnesota 2
Houston 3, Tampa Bay 1
MONDAY’S GAMES
NY Yankees 5, Minnesota 1
NY Yankees win series 3-0
Tampa Bay 10, Houston 3
TUESDAY’S GAME
Tampa Bay 4, Houston 1
TODAY’S GAME
Tampa Bay (Glasnow 6-1) at Houston (Cole
20-5), 6:07 p.m. (FS1)
Series tied 2-2
LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(BEST-OF-7) x-if necessary
National League
All games televised on TBS
FRIDAY’S GAME
Washington at St. Louis, 7:08 p.m.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Washington at St. Louis, 3:08 p.m.
MONDAY, OCT. 14
St. Louis at Washington, TBA
TUESDAY, OCT. 15
St. Louis at Washington, TBA
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16
x-St. Louis at Washington, TBA
FRIDAY, OCT. 18
x-Washington at St. Louis, TBA
SATURDAY, OCT. 19
x-Washington at St. Louis, TBA
American League
All games televised on Fox or FS1
SATURDAY’S GAME
NY Yankees at Houston OR Tampa Bay at NY
Yankees, 7:08 p.m.
SUNDAY’S GAME
NY Yankees at Houston OR Tampa Bay at NY
Yankees, 7:08 p.m.
TUESDAY, OCT. 15
Houston at NY Yankees OR NY Yankees at
Tampa Bay, TBA
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16
Houston at NY Yankees OR NY Yankees at
Tampa Bay, TBA
THURSDAY, OCT. 17
x-Houston at NY Yankees or NY Yankees at
Tampa Bay, TBA
SATURDAY, OCT. 19
x-NY Yankees at Houston OR Tampa Bay at NY
Yankees, TBA
SUNDAY, OCT. 20
x-NY Yankees at Houston OR Tampa Bay at NY
Yankees, TBA
Sports on 10/10/2019