In 2005, Major League Baseball ripped the Expos from Montreal, chucked them in Washington, slapped Walgreens uniforms on them, and called them the Nationals. They’ve never won a playoff series.

Remember earlier in the week when they Jays’ lineup got totally dismantled by fucking Tampa Bay’s bullpen? Oh god, oh man. Oh god. This could be ugly. If the team can’t barrel up the ball when *checks notes* Matt Andriese is pitching, they’re going to be grinded into paste by Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez, and Tanner Roark. Are you excited yet?!?!!?

Gio Gonzalez will start the series against Aaron Sanchez. Gonzalez has been damn good this year as he owns a 2.65 ERA through 13 starts. His last start was his worst of the season as he only went three-and-a-third against the Giants surrendering four runs on six hits. That was the first time this season he had allowed more than three runs in a start. Sanchez has had back-to-back strong starts, which is great to see after an ugly month of May. In his last couple of outings, Sanchez has scattered just three earned runs over 12 1/3 innings.

Ohhhhhh fuuuucccccck! Max Scherzer! He’s impossibly good! Scherzer appears to be on his way to a third-straight NL Cy Young as he’s absolutely carving up the league. He owns a 2.00 ERA, he’s striking out 13.5 guys per nine, and his WHIP is a paltry 0.845. Good lord. Scherzer has made 14 starts this season and 12 of them have been quality. Marco Estrada will start for the Jays against the team that drafted him all the way back in 2005. After a really ugly stretch, Estrada has posted back-to-back quality starts for the Jays for the first time since his first two outings of the season.

Sammy G will start for the Jays in the finale against Tanner Roark. Young Sammy had been a great revelation for the Jays this year randomly showing up and pitching very well in the wake of Marcus Stroman’s injury, but his last outing against Tampa Bay showed cracks in the glass shoe. Sammy G got spanked by the Rays for five runs over three-and-a-third, ending a very nice stretch in which he went at least six innings in three-straight starts. Roark is the sorta forgotten-but-still-good member of Washington’s stupidly good rotation. He owns a 3.63 ERA and has gone six or more innings in all but one start this year.

I don’t have much to say about this series other than oh man fuck this pitching going against this lineup is terrifying.

Some other random stuff… I’m disappointed that Blue Jays legend Moises Sierra won’t be playing. The Nationals, dead serious, let Sierra play in 27 games this season. I’m not joking! He posted a nice .420 OPS and then got designated for assignment. They also had Miguel Montero on their roster! The former Jays catcher (remember that?!) got into four games before being designated. This series would be a lot more watchable if those two were involved. What a shame.