2019 NLDS Game 5 vs Dodgers (Howie Kendrick grand slam)

Lore & Background

The 2019 Nationals were a team of resilience, having started the season 19-31 before roaring back to claim a wild card spot. Their NLDS matchup with the heavily favored Dodgers was seen as a David vs. Goliath battle. Game 5 at Dodger Stadium was the ultimate test: the Dodgers took a 3-0 lead into the eighth inning, and their bullpen, anchored by closer Kenley Jansen, seemed poised to close out the series. But the Nationals' never-say-die attitude, forged in the crucible of their midseason turnaround, came to life. Howie Kendrick, a veteran acquired in 2017, had already delivered a key hit in the Wild Card Game. In the eighth inning, with the bases loaded and two outs, he crushed a 3-2 fastball from Joe Kelly over the left-field wall, turning a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead. The grand slam silenced the Dodger Stadium crowd and sent the Nationals dugout into a frenzy. The bullpen held the lead, and the Nationals won 7-3, advancing to the NLCS.

In Their Own Story

The crack of the bat was a thunderclap in the Los Angeles night. Howie Kendrick watched the ball sail, a white blur against the dark sky, and knew. The Dodger Stadium crowd, moments earlier roaring with anticipation of a clinch, fell into a stunned hush. He rounded the bases, his heart pounding, each step a defiance of the odds. In the dugout, his teammates erupted, a wave of joy washing over the tension. This was not just a home run; it was a declaration that the Nationals, the team that had been left for dead in May, would not be denied.

Reader's Guide

The occasion was Game 5 of the 2019 National League Division Series, a decisive game between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers, winners of the NL West, were heavy favorites, while the Nationals had clawed their way back from a dismal start to the season. The game was a tense pitcher's duel, with the Dodgers taking a 3-0 lead into the eighth inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Howie Kendrick, a veteran known for his clutch hitting, stepped to the plate against reliever Joe Kelly. On a 3-2 count, Kendrick launched a grand slam to left field, giving the Nationals a 5-3 lead. The Nationals added two more runs in the ninth and closed out the game 7-3. The victory was historic: it was the first time the Nationals had won a playoff series in franchise history. The grand slam is remembered as one of the most iconic hits in Nationals lore, symbolizing the team's resilience and setting the stage for their eventual World Series championship.

Did You Know?

• Howie Kendrick's grand slam was the first ever hit by a Nationals player in a postseason game — and it came with two outs, a full count, and the weight of a franchise on his shoulders.
• The Nationals were the first team in MLB history to win a winner-take-all postseason game after trailing by multiple runs in the eighth inning or later, making their comeback the stuff of October folklore.
• The 2019 Nationals became the first team to win the World Series after being 12 games under .500 during the season — a resurrection that began in earnest with this single, deafening blast.
• Kendrick's grand slam came on a 3-2 fastball from Joe Kelly, who had previously been a key reliever for the Boston Red Sox — and who, in that moment, became the villain in Washington's greatest playoff highlight.