Poor Start Dooms Jackson, Nats
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By DERON SNYDER
The biggest game in Washington Nationals history was nowhere close to that magnitude for starter Edwin Jackson, who entered Wednesday having pitched in a pair of World Series in prior years. Game 3 of the National League Division Series, by definition, isn’t comparable to what’s at stake in the postseason’s latter stages.
The Nats’ last chance to move on wasn’t in Jackson’s right hand when he started Washington’s first home MLB playoff game since 1933. The final weight ultimately would come to rest on Game 4 starter Ross Detwiler and (if necessary) Game 5 starter Gio Gonzalez.
Jackson was supposed to span the gap.
While the bridge didn’t experience a total collapse, there was significant crumbling at the beginning.
Instead of crossing over to the brink of the NLCS, Washington was left on the verge of extinction as St. Louis got to Jackson early in an 8-0 loss. All of his postseason experience went for naught as the Cards tagged him for four runs on six hits through two innings. He settled down after that, but it was too late.
