The Washington Nationals struck first on Thursday, with a big home run from first baseman Adam LaRoche, and while their lead didn't last it had to be a comfort to be the team doing the homering instead of the team getting homered. It was LaRoche's second of the postseason, but Ross Detwiler wasn't able to hold the 1-0 lead through the top of the third inning—Pete Kozma led off with a walk and scored after advancing on a sacrifice bunt, an error, and Carlos Beltran's sacrifice fly. That's where we find things after four innings, with both teams knotted at 1.
A little less than halfway through, this game looks much more like the Nats' narrow Game 1 win than it does the Game 2 and 3 blowouts; the Cardinals haven't been able to solve the left-hander Detwiler, who's pitching now with the weight of everyone's expectations for Stephen Strasburg weighing him down, and the Nationals have two hits (and baserunners) against Kyle Lohse, counting the home run.