Nationals stay alive with win over Giants

The Washington Nationals stayed alive in the Major League Baseball playoffs with a 4-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Doug Fister pitched seven scoreless innings for the Nationals, who built the best record in the National League in the regular season but were on the brink of elimination after dropping the first two games of this best-of-five Divisional Series at home in Washington.
As the series shifted to San Francisco, the Nationals bounced back after blowing a lead in the ninth inning on the way to a devastating 18-inning defeat in game two on Saturday.
Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner gave up six hits and struck out six over seven innings -- and his key defensive error helped the Nationals score the first two runs of the contest.
His errant throw to third base on Wilson Ramos' seventh-inning sacrifice bunt enabled two runs to score.
Washington's Asdrubal Cabrera then came to the plate, and his single scored Ramos to give the Nats a 3-0 lead.
Bryce Harper added a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning to stretch the visitors' lead.
Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford's sacrifice fly to score Pablo Sandoval in the bottom of the ninth was too little for San Francisco.
San Francisco saw their post-season winning streak end at 10 games -- a run dating back to the 2012 National League Championship Series.
But they'll get another chance to wrap up the series at home on Tuesday.
The winner of the series will take on either St. Louis or the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League crown and a World Series berth.
The Cardinals and Dodgers split the first two games in Los Angeles, and St. Louis were hoping to edge ahead at home later Monday.
Source: AFP