Oct 6, 2014 2 min read

SAN FRANCISCO – Doug Fister pitched seven shutout innings and the Washington Nationals took advantage of Madison Bumgarner’s one off-target throw, staving off elimination in the NL Division Series with a 4-1 win against the San Francisco Giants Monday.

Fister dazzled again in San Francisco, helping the Nationals cut their deficit to 2-1 in the best-of-five series and ending the Giants 10-game postseason winning streak that started with Game 5 of the 2012 NL Championship Series against St. Louis.

Washington scored two runs on Bumgarner’s throwing error in the seventh inning to end the ace’s 21-inning scoreless streak. Bryce Harper punctuated the victory with a solo homer in the ninth.

“Really it came down to every pitch,” Fister said. “Fortunately, a ball bounced our way.”

Drew Storen allowed to the first two batters to reach in the bottom of the ninth but shook off his postseason struggles, allowing a run in closing it out as Washington forced a Game 4 tonight.

Now, the 96-win Nationals will send left-hander Gio Gonzalez up against San Francisco right-hander Ryan Vogelsong.

On a day Bumgarner was nearly untouchable, his 21-inning postseason scoreless streak ended on his own miscue. Now, the Giants must wait another day to try to eliminate the Nationals, who trail 2-1 in the best-of-five series.

Bumgarner fielded Wilson Ramos’ two-strike sacrifice bunt between the mound and the first-base line and fired to third rather than going for the sure out at first.

Bumgarner’s throw sailed wide of Pablo Sandoval’s outstretched glove and bounced all the way to the tarp along the left-field wall before rolling over the bullpen mounds where two relievers were warming up.

Sandoval nearly did the splits trying to make the play and stayed down in pain as the two runs scored. Trainers checked on the third baseman and he remained in the game.

Asdrubal Cabrera followed with an RBI single. He spent the final eight innings watching the Giants’ 2-1, 18-inning victory Saturday night after his ejection for arguing a called third strike.

Harper’s three postseason homers are the fourth-most before age 22 behind Mickey Mantle, Miguel Cabrera and Andruw Jones all with four.