(Photo: Mark Humphrey, Associated Press)
St. Louis — Aníbal Sánchez carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, Howie Kendrick had two more big swings and the Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 2-0, on Friday night in the NL Championship Series opener.
Sánchez, a former Tiger, had allowed just three runners when he took the mound for the eighth. First baseman Ryan 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.