Nationals take NL title series opener

ST. LOUIS – It turns out Washington’s Big Three is a Big Four. Don’t forget about Aníbal Sánchez. The right-hander carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, Howie Kendrick had two more big swings and the Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Friday night in the NL Championship Series opener.

“Tonight was obviously vintage Aníbal,” first baseman Ryan Zimmerman said.

Sánchez had allowed just three runners when he took the mound for the eighth. Zimmerman robbed Tommy Edman with an outstanding diving grab at full stretch for the first out, but pinch-hitter José Martínez cleanly singled to center with two down for the Cardinals’ first hit.

“I just tried to keep focused on every pitch that I’m going to throw,” Sánchez said. “I don’t want to miss any kind of pitch in the middle in the zone against those guys.”

Sánchez thought he was going to finish the no-hitter after the big grab.

“When Zimmerman caught the ball I said, ‘OK, I’ve got it,’” the pitcher recalled.

Sean Doolittle relieved and got four straight outs to finish the one-hitter for his first postseason save in two years.