Veteran pitcher Anibal Sanchez, in his first season in Washington, led the dance line.
Pitching coach Paul Menhart, who got the job when things looked bleak in May, sprayed champagne on anyone within range.
And first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who has been with the franchise from the start, said there is no such thing as a bad celebration, even though the Washington Nationals didn’t win a fifth division title.
The Nationals, left for dead with a record of 19-31 in late May, celebrated the first wild card spot in its history after beating the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night 6-5 at Nationals Park. Washington will play on Oct. 1, most likely against the Milwaukee Brewers.
“It’s great. Everyone wants to win. That is why we play,” Nationals closer Daniel Hudson, who got the save, said in the raucous clubhouse. “I am really glad to be part of this organization.”
Hudson, acquired from the Toronto in late July, then took a break to share video with some of his family back in Arizona. He said his parents and friends were certainly watching on television in the Tidewater region of Virginia where he grew up.
Lefty starter Patrick Corbin said the team never lost confidence, even after being swept in four games at the New York Mets in late May, a result that had some fans wanting the Nationals to fire second-year manager Dave Martinez. Corbin signed a six-year deal with the Nationals prior to this season.
“Give credit to Davey. He believed in us,” Corbin said.
Howie Kendrick, a super-utility player hitting .344, is headed to the playoffs for the eighth time in a career that began in 2006.
“Everyone is special,” Kendrick said.
The irony is the clincher came in a rare one-run victory. The Nationals are 17-21 in such games this year and 35-45 in two seasons under Martinez.
The clincher also came on a day that the bullpen had a strong performance. Five relievers combined for five scoreless innings in a win in the first game of the twinbill.
In the nightcap, reliever Hunter Strickland gave up a home run in the seventh to Bryce Harper, but Javy Guerra, also acquired midseason, and Hudson had lockdown innings to secure the win.
Washington relievers had a league-worst ERA of 5.85 to begin the day.
But for a day, that was put aside.
Standing just a few feet away to the entrance of the Nationals’ clubhouse was Harper, the former Washington slugger who signed with Philadelphia as a free agent in March. He was catching up with some of his friends from his days in Washington.
About 90 minutes earlier Harper hit the pinch-hit homer, cutting the Nationals lead to 6-5 and heightening the night’s drama.
But it is the Nationals who are headed to the playoffs and not the Phillies, who were eliminated earlier in the day after Washington’s loss.
“It feels good,” catcher Kurt Suzuki said. “It feels really good.”
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