The Washington Nationals brought post-season baseball back to the U.S. capital for the first time since 1933, earning a playoff spot Thursday night with a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"Nats Clinch" flashed on the scoreboard as Washington ensured at least an NL wild-card spot behind Ross Detwiler's six strong innings and Ryan Zimmerman's RBI double.
A crowd of 30,359 stood and cheered in the ninth inning, then got even louder when Drew Storen struck out Hanley Ramirez to end it. Manager Davey Johnson saluted the fans as he left the field and the team wore caps acknowledging the playoff berth.
Washington's magic number to win the NL East was reduced to eight. The Nationals lead idle Atlanta by 5 1 /2 games.
The Nationals became the second team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot this year. Cincinnati sealed its slot earlier in the day.
Washington was last in the post-season 79 years ago, when player-manager Joe Cronin and the Senators lost to the New York Giants in five games in the World Series.
Until this year, the Nationals had never had a winning season - nor finished above third place - since moving from Montreal for the 2005 season. It will be just the franchise's second postseason berth and its first since the Expos came within a game of the World Series in 1981.
The loss dropped the Dodgers three games behind St. Louis for the NL's second wild-card spot. Milwaukee moved ahead of Los Angeles with its win over Pittsburgh.
YANKEES 10, JAYS 7
NEW YORK - Streaking Ichiro Suzuki hit a goahead, two-run double in a seven-run fourth inning capped by Nick Swisher's grand slam, and the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-7 to open a one-game AL East lead over idle Baltimore.
Backed by an 8-2 lead, Phil Hughes (16-12) lasted just five innings.
