The Washington Nationals have claimed the 2014 NL East title with a 3-0 victory over the division rival Atlanta Braves. The Nationals were the 2012 division champions but struggled last year, finishing 10 games behind the Braves.
The Nationals were able to win this game from yet another strong outing from Tanner Roark, who threw seven scoreless innings while surrendering just five hits. Roark improved to 14-10 on the year, and has been an excellent addition to the rotation throughout the entire season. Ian Desmond provided the offense for the Nationals by breaking the scoreless tie with a two-run homerun in the sixth inning and also scored another run in the ninth.
The Nationals must improve upon the lackluster performance they put forward in the 2012 playoffs. They entered those playoffs with a league-leading 98 wins, but were unable to make it past the divisional round. In fact, they blew a 6-0 lead in the deciding game of that series and ended up losing to the St. Louis Cardinals even after leading 7-5 heading into the 9th inning. However, it is also important to remember that Stephen Strasburg had been shut down for the remainder of the season before the playoffs began.
The Nationals undoubtedly have one of the most well-rounded teams in the entire MLB. This will be only the third playoff appearance in franchise history, the second in three years since the team moved to Washington. The Nationals will go into the playoffs with arguably the strongest starting rotation in the MLB. Having five high quality starters will be a major advantage moving through the playoffs. In addition, the offense has been getting into a rhythm late in the season. By clinching the division title with over a week left in the regular season, the Nationals also now have the luxury of giving extra rest to key players leading up to the start of the playoffs.