Nationals @ Cardinals, Game 3

[BigMeech]

Comrades, with a win today (or a Braves loss), the Washington Nationals will clinch the NL East.  Gone are the days of Tim Redding being considered the "ace" of the staff.  Gone are the days of NOOK and his journey to hit a home run.  Gone are the days of Ryan Zimmerman putting the team on his back (at least, most of the time), and gone are the days 2009 Washington Nationals.  Today is a new day.  All those years of suffering just might culminate when we clinch the National League East and the champaign will be spewing.  However, that begs the question: What will we do with BRYCE HARPER once the champaign is unleashed?  Considering he is a Mormon and underage, this poses the biggest dilemma in the HISTORY of the Washington Nationals.

[/center

However, Comrades, we will not be going into this battle alone.  We have a man on our side who doesn't know what defeat feels and/or tastes like.  We have a man who had led the MOTHERLAND since 1999.  We have a man on our side who does not accept defeat, and a man who likes to feed baby elk milk.  That man, is VLADIMIR PUTIN

Today, we unleash PUTIN POWER one last time in the regular season.  And I know what you're thinking: How can we trust PUTIN to be on our side?  Isn't he regarded as a below average human being by the western media?  I know you have your concerns, but he has helped us before and we all must trust in him today if he is to deliver us to victory.  And just in case you need some reinsurance that he is on our side, he knows what our magic number is.

ONE~!

Our time has come, Comrades.

[mitlen]

  один !   

[houston-nat]

PUTIN POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bshep86]

Is it just me, or is anyone already getting goosebumps about what today could mean? 

[Dixon Ward]

[varoadking]

Is it just me, or is anyone already getting goosebumps about what today could mean? 

You are not alone...

[CALSGR8]

PUTIN POWER-TRUST BUT VERIFY WITH A WIN!

[Jordanz Meatballz]

It's too bad that the Braves-Mets game will likely finish before this one ends.

I want the players to get the full celebration excitement.

[CALSGR8]

As for Bryce, do what the Rangers did!  Have the first celebration with Ginger Ale.  That's how they celebrated with Josh Hamilton (alcoholic)

[JCA-CrystalCity]

PUTIN! fishes for Carp in Mississippi River near St. Louis:

[JCA-CrystalCity]

As for Bryce, do what the Rangers did!  Have the first celebration with Ginger Ale.  That's how they celebrated with Josh Hamilton (alcoholic)

didn't he grab some carbonated grape juice with someone's son, maybe ALR, when we clinched the playoff spot.

[Jordanz Meatballz]

didn't he grab some carbonated grape juice with someone's son, maybe ALR, when we clinched the playoff spot.

Right, but depending on the outcome, players will be wont to spray champagne everywhere.  Can't have the devil's liquid touching underage Bryce 

[CALSGR8]

Its about being underage az much as religion.  Irony = being in Busch Stadium, celebrating NL East clinch and not being able to legally and religiously drink AND on a Sunday no less!

[zoom]

i must confess, i lurk the majority of the GD threads, but i missed the original reference to Putin.  What's the connection?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Shirtless PUTIN! became a good luck charm in the Game day Thread for the August 20 win over ATL after we pulled out one extra innings.

If we win this game in the bottom of the tenth I will change my avatar to Paul Ryan shirtless.

If we don't win, BigMeech has to switch his avi to Vladimir Putin shirtless.

Putin time for Big Meech

Seems like you were referring to the overall game here, not the tenth.  I'll still good.

Oh well, I've embraced it.

#RallyPutin

We did a few threads embracing the PUTIN! theme, with special appearances by Anna Chapman when the Nats were nice boys and won.  PUTIN! stopped at least one losing streak.  PUTIN! cannot be overused, but he obviously has special powers.

I've suggested on Fangraphs and elsewhere that PUTIN! replace Teddy in the Presidents' Race because he knows how to win rigged races.

[houston-nat]

This is MLB.TV's free game of the day.

[zoom]

JCA, Thanks!

The Ryder Cup is not helping the nerves today. 

[mitlen]

Right, but depending on the outcome, players will be wont to spray champagne everywhere.  Can't have the devil's liquid touching underage Bryce 

Put a garbage bag over him.

[mitlen]

i must confess, i lurk the majority of the GD threads, but i missed the original reference to Putin.  What's the connection?

Those of us who are regulars have no idea either.    I think it's a BigMeech thing.    Meech was in the KGB.

[CALSGR8]

For the Nationals:

Jayson Werth RF Bryce Harper CF Ryan Zimmerman 3B Adam LaRoche 1B Michael Morse LF Ian Desmond SS Danny Espinosa 2B Kurt Suzuki C Ross Detwiler P

For the Cardinals:

John Jay CF Carlos Beltran RF Matt Holliday LF Allen Craig 1B Yadier Molina C David Freese 3B Daniel Descalso 2B Pete Kozma SS Lance Lynn P

[OldChelsea]

Is it just me, or is anyone already getting goosebumps about what today could mean? 

I am!

That fourth flag over the Nats Park scoreboard may not be blank for much longer....

[spit]

Stupid central time...



It's my baseball, and I need it NOW!

[bshep86]

Stupid central time...



It's my baseball, and I need it NOW!

[varoadking]

Gonna be a great day for the Nats to clinch...top of the first in Atlanta and the Barves don't have the lead yet...

[CALSGR8]