The pie-faced Justin Maxwell sent the Nationals out on a high note. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Nationals 7, Mets 4: Someone of relative importance somewhere told me that it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. (It was probably Gorilla Monsoon during one of his patented back-and-forths with Bobby Heenan in the early 90s heyday of professional wrestling. Never the less!) For the Nationals, that platitude is slightly empty; this is a team with 103 losses, after all. But some part of me feels good for the last three days of the team’s second season in Nationals Park, especially last night. That’s because sports, no matter how meaningless the game or how poor the teams’ records, magnify the memorable over the commonly mundane and disappointing — and a walk-off, two-out, full count grand slam in the home finale, regardless of the standings, is a tough memory to top. Enter Justin Maxwell, he of the career four home runs in fifty games. Maxwell came up with perhaps the most memorable moment of the season, taking Mets closer Francisco Rodruiguez deep in that very, scenario one that many of us dream about in our backyards as children. Sure, I could go into details about John Lannan’s fantastic performance at home this year, or maybe Ryan Zimmerman’s mammoth home run to the deepest part of the park; but I think I’ll just sit here and enjoy this one for a little bit. You should too.