The Washington Nationals’ Jayson Werth connected for a ninth inning solo walkoff home run on Thursday to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2 to 1 and send the National League Division Series to a do-or-die Game 5 tonight in the nation’s capital.
Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn engaged Werth in an epic 13 pitch showdown in the ninth inning. Werth fouled off pitch after pitch until he launched the 13th pitch into over the leftfield wall into the Cardinals bullpen.
The loss spoiled a strong pitching effort from St. Louis’ Kyle Lohse, who held the Nationals to one run in seven innings. But Washington’s Ross Detwiler matched Lohse during his six innings, giving up a lone run to Cardinals.
Washington’s bullpen exploited a wide strike zone, and at one point struck out eight of nine batters faced.
Washington’s ace Gio Gonzalez will face off against the Cardinals’ veteran star pitcher Adam Wainwright in tonight’s winner-takes-all contest. The game begins at 7:30.