And so our last, best hope begins. The division will likely still be a bridge to far, but this is what September baseball is supposed to be — a gin and tonic, the promise of summertime in a glass, delightful to its last sour-sweet sip.

“Karnak” Kris Medlen had the Nats hypnotized all night. A fine defensive play by Andrelton Simmons helped in the third, and in the fourth, Freddie Freeman lifted a double to the opposite field. A fortunate fielder’s choice later, Simmons (no pressure here, kid) cashed in Freddie with a sac fly. And it looked like it might hold up for a minute. Medlen breezed through the fourth, but hung one to the Nats’ enfant terrible, Bryce Harper, who scraped an oppo yicketty to tie it. Medlen righted the ship immediately, finishing with thirteen strikeouts.

Detwiler wasn’t foolin’ em, but yielded just the one run through six. Davey Johnson began going through pitchers like a TKE beer pong table, but it was still tied going into the bottom of the ninth, after Kimbrel dusted the side in the top half.

Fellow Garfield HS alum Jeff Baker (who?) grounded out to deep short, but Simmons had better luck, poking one far enough to the left side for an infield single. “All The Money” Michael Bourn cracked a single to move Simmons to third, and the unlikeliest hero of all, Tyler Pastornicky, bounced to short, but the throw was wide and Simmons plated the game winner.

Just a capital evening of baseball all around, and the pennant race, while faint, remains afoot.