- The Washington Times - Sunday, October 16, 2022

A former Nationals superstar will be going to the World Series.

The Padres upset the 111-win Dodgers in the NLDS, while the Phillies took down defending-champion Atlanta. Both clubs won their Game 4 matchups Saturday to advance to the NLCS, each just four wins away from the World Series.

For Nationals fans, the NLCS will feature two former D.C. superstars — Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper and San Diego’s Juan Soto — going at it for a chance to win the pennant. 

Harper has never appeared in an NLCS or World Series before, as the slugger left the District after the 2018 season to sign a $330 million contract with Philadelphia. Soto, meanwhile, is back in the NLCS for the first time since 2019, when the Nationals swept the Cardinals on the way to winning the World Series against the Astros. 

Harper has been dominant for the Phillies in their improbable playoff run, which included a 2-0 sweep of the Cardinals in the wild-card round and a 3-1 series victory over the Braves. The 30-year-old has recorded a base knock in all but one playoff game and is hitting .435 with three home runs, three doubles and six RBIs. 

Soto, meanwhile, is hoping to put his struggles with the Padres behind him in the playoffs. He hit safely in the final three games versus the Dodgers and is hitting .250 this postseason. The 23-year-old right fielder, who turned down a $440 million offer from the Nationals before being traded at the deadline, smacked a game-tying single in the seventh Saturday en route to San Diego’s 5-3 win. 

Other former Nationals appearing in the NLCS will be Josh Bell (Padres), Brad Hand (Phillies) and Kyle Schwarber (Phillies). 

• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.

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