Hard to see, but fans wrap around the corner at the ticket window, while news crews are setting up — 12 hours before the game.

Yesterday I mentioned that the Nats had no chance in yesterday’s game and would be crushed.

I was wrong.  And that’s quite alright.

If you didn’t happen to be at the park or in the neighborhood for last night’s thrilling game, you missed out.  After the game ended, crowd control couldn’t get the reveling fans ushered to the metro.  Instead, fans grouped outside the stadium chanting “Let’s go Nats!” for over an hour.  Fans packed into the Bullpen (the outdoor bar/entertainment area directly across from the stadium) — and I mean packed.  It was like a single-tracking red line train in rush hour.  And the they couldn’t have been happier.

The crowd reaction in the last half of the game was incredible.  The cheers of the crowd just for a strike sounded like early season cheers of home runs.  The crowd got to its feet for Jordan Zimmerman’s first strike out, and stayed on their feet through the next two, and then for Clippard’s three Ks, and then Storen’s two punch outs, all followed up by Desmond’s great catch in shallow left to take the game to the bottom of the 9th.

And when Werth hit the home run to win the game, I thought the crowd noise would blow out my window.  My cat went into hiding.  Car alarms went off.  It was amazing and electrifying.

This morning, walking to work, I passed the 1st Street ticket window and there were already dozens of fans lined up hours before the ticket window opened.  As of last night, there were $400 seats behind home plate and a handful of $30 standing room only tickets.

Tonight we watch Gio try to propel the Nats into the NLCS.  Last time out he didn’t allow any runs, but he only went 3 and walked 7.  Hopefully the Natitude rubs off on Gio and he can shut the Cardinals down the way Detwiler and the bullpen did last night.