It wasn't just about the AL. Recall that before the NLCS, various pundits on MLB Network and elsewhere discounted the victory over the Dodgers. They said that Washington wouldn't be able to use its advantage in starting pitching in a best-of-seven series like they could in a best-of-five series, so the Nats would have a harder time with the Cards.
They obviously underestimated Corbin and Sanchez
