Dodgers vs Nationals/Expos Notes
Thus far, the division series between the original favorite, three seed L.A. Dodgers and second seed Washington Nationals has produced the same winning teams in games, as the 1981 NLCS between the two franchises when the Nationals were the Montreal Expos.
In both series, 35 years apart, the Dodgers won games one and four, the Nationals/Expos won games two and three.
In 1981, the first two games were in Los Angeles with games three and four in Montreal. The opposite was true this year, the first two games in Washington and games three and four in L.A.
Both decisive 5th games are in the Nationals/Expos home, the Dodgers riding Rick Monday’s tie breaking ninth inning home run to victory in 1981, while tonight’s tilt is in Washington D.C.
Dusty Baker was an outfielder on the winning Dodgers in 1981, a team that staved off elimination 5 times en route to Baker’s only title as either a player or manager.
His fine managerial record also includes three horrible post-season losses in which his teams went (0-8) with a chance to clinch the series. Currently Baker’s teams, an impressive four different ones he has guided into the baseball tournament, the ’02 Giants (0-2), the ’03 Cubs (1-4, including 3 straight losses up 3 games to 1 in the NLCS, the 2012 Reds (0-3) and this year’s Nationals (0-1) are (1-10) with a chance to clinch a series.
Andy B Sports 
Yes Troy it did, as I noted in my post after game 5, written on October 14th. In ’81, starter Bob Welch in relief, got one out. He retired Jerry White, who hit the key home run to beat Welch in game 3.
I saw Bob in spring training the next year and he told me he thought White’s out would be a home run.Welch was a really good man.
Of course a more renowned starter, Clayton Kershaw got the last two outs this season, the penultimate one being Daniel Murphy. Certainly Murphy helped beat Kershaw and the Dodgers as a New York Mets’ player, in last year’s opening series.
Are you a fan of any team?
Game 5 ended just as 1981. Dodgers up by a run with runners on 1st n 2nd.