Metroplex bracket: 2019 Nationals defeat 2019 Red Sox in five games

Game One: Nationals 4, Red Sox 3
WP: Scherzer (1-0)
LP: Hembree (0-1)
Save: Doolittle (2)
HR: Moreland 2 (2), Turner (1), Rendon (3)

Game Two: Nationals 6, Red Sox 3
WP: Strasburg (2-0)
LP: Sale (0-1)
Save: Suero (1)
HR: Eaton (1), Chavis (2)

Game Three: Nationals 2, Red Sox 1
WP: Corbin (2-0)
LP: Porcello (2-1)
Save: Doolittle (3)
HR: Turner (2)

Game Four: Red Sox 5, Nationals 4
WP: Taylor (1-0)
LP: Doolittle (0-1)
HR: Betts (1), Turner (3)

Game Five: Nationals 3, Red Sox 2
WP: Scherzer (2-0)
LP: E Rodriguez (1-2)
Save: Doolittle (4)
HR: Bogaerts (1)

Four of the five games were decided by one run, and the other was a one-run game going into the eighth.

Mitch Moreland hit a pair of homers in his first two at-bats to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead after four innings of Game One in Washington. Anthony Rendon homered in the sixth to cut the margin to 2-1. Heath Hembree relieved Eduardo Rodriguez in the seventh and gave up three runs, including a two-run homer by Trea Turner. The Sox got one back in the eighth off Fernando Rodney, but Sean Doolittle pitched around a double in the ninth to nail it down. Winner Max Scherzer struck out 15 in seven innings of work.

Victor Robles hit a bases-loaded triple and scored on a sac fly in the fourth inning of Game Two to give Stephen Strasburg all the runs he needed. Adam Eaton hit a two-run homer in the eighth for breathing room. 

The series moved to Boston for Game Three, and Patrick Corbin outdueled Rick Porcello. Turner hit another two-run homer in the fifth. Mookie Betts singled in a run off reliever Fernando Rodney, but that was as close as the Sox could get.

Betts prevented a Washington sweep with a three-run walk-off homer off Doolittle. The Nats carried a 4-1 lead into the eighth, but the Red Sox picked up a run off Rodney in the eighth and Javy Guerra and Doolittle didn't retire a man in the bottom of the ninth. Turner hit a two-run homer in the fifth to put the Nats in front.

The Nats didn't homer in the fifth and final game, but they turned a walk and three singles into two runs in the fourth and added a third run in the seventh when Eaton scored from first base on Rendon's double. Scherzer, Mike Grace and Guerra held the Sox scoreless into the ninth, when Rafael Devers walked in front of Xander Bogaert's homer. That brought in the hard-used Doolittle, who retired three men in order to end the game and series.

Player availability: Everybody will be ready for Round Three. Daniel Hudson is to be activated.

Projected rotation: Scherzer-Strasburg-Corbin-Sanchez-(Scherzer)-(Strasburg)-(Corbin)