SAN FRANCISCO -- The Nationals and Giants found themselves in another pitchers' duel in Game 3 on Monday, and this time, it was the Nationals who won, 4-1, at AT&T Park to remain alive in the National League Division Series.
Like in Game 2, the Nationals were having problems on offense over the first six innings of Game 3. In fact, from the fourth inning of Game 2 through the sixth inning of Game 3, the Nationals went 21 innings without scoring a run. That changed in the seventh inning, thanks to Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner.
 
Doug Fister keeps Nationals postseason hopes alive
 
After Ian Desmond singled to left field and Bryce Harper reached base on a walk, Wilson Ramos bunted the ball toward Bumgarner, who tried to get Desmond at third base. But Bumgarner threw the ball past third baseman Pablo Sandoval for an error that allowed Desmond and Harper to score.
With Ramos on second, Asdrubal Cabrera singled to left field. Even though Ramos is the slowest runner on the team, third-base coach Bobby Henley waived Ramos home, and the Nats' catcher made it under the tag of Giants counterpart Buster Posey.
The three runs were enough for right-hander Doug Fister, who threw seven shutout innings, allowed four hits and struck out three batters. The only time he was in serious trouble was in the second inning.
The Giants had the bases loaded with two outs, but Fister struck out Bumgarner to end the threat. After two innings, Fister had thrown 43 pitches, but he lasted long enough to keep the Nationals alive in the series.
Harper also managed to quiet Giants fans, with his glove and his bat. In the seventh, Harper made a great sliding catch on a Travis Ishikawa fly ball with a runner on first. In the ninth, Harper blasted a 1-1 pitch from right-hander Jean Machi over the right-center-field wall to give Washington a four-run lead.
After Fister left the game, right-hander Tyler Clippard shut out the Giants in the eighth, but closer Drew Storen made it interesting in the ninth.
After Sandoval singled and Hunter Pence doubled to left-center field, Storen managed to get Brandon Belt on strikes, then got Brandon Crawford to hit a sacrifice fly to Jayson Werth in right field before Ishikawa grounded out to shortstop to end the game.
Bill Ladson / MLB.com
 

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