PITTSBURGH -- Dusty Baker couldnt help but smile as he watched his players pour champagne and beer on each other.The Washington Nationals clinched their third National League East title in five years on Saturday night. They beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 and watched on TV in the clubhouse as the New York Mets were eliminated from the division race 20 minutes later with a 10-8 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.Then the party started.Let the animals run wild, and they are certainly running wild tonight, said Baker, the Nationals first-year manager. I love it. Look at them. These are the wildest Ive ever seen.The Nationals were seemingly not only celebrating a division title but releasing pent-up frustration that remained from a disappointing 2015 season.The Nationals were considered by many to be World Series favorites after signing right-hander Max Scherzer to a seven-year, $210-million contract in free agency the previous winter. They not only missed the playoffs, but then-closer Jonathan Papelbon choked right fielder Bryce Harper during a late-season dugout argument.We were all (upset), Scherzer said. Because we had a team we knew was capable of winning and winning in the postseason, winning in October. I believe we have that team again.Manager Matt Williams was fired at the end of last season and replaced by Baker, who had 20 years of experience managing the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.Out of the game for two years after being fired by the Reds following the 2013 season, the 67-year-old Baker has been questioned at times for his handling of the pitching staff. But he has provided a steady hand.This is the first step in a four-step process, Baker said We want to do this three more times, then hopefully be the world champions. Were not done yet.The Nationals have never reached the World Series during the franchises 47-year history that began in 1969 as the Montreal Expos before the team relocated to Washington in 2005.Except for a four-day stretch in May, the Nationals were on top of the division all season. They took the lead for good May 13 then built a double-digit advantage in September despite a down year from Harper, who is hitting just .243 with 24 home runs in 143 games after winning the NL MVP a year ago when he batted .330 with an NL-leading 42 homers.However, second baseman Daniel Murphy, who helped the Mets reach the World Series last year, has made a major impact after being signed as a free agent in the offseason. Though sidelined by a strained glut muscle in recent days, he is hitting .347 with a league-best 47 doubles and 25 home runs in 141 games.Rookie Trea Turner also has made a major impact since becoming a lineup fixture in August, hitting .336 with 12 home runs and 27 stolen bases in 65 games while converting from shortstop to center fielder.Scherzer has been stellar as the ace of the pitching staff. He is 18-7 with a 2.82 ERA, a league-leading 267 strikeouts and a record-tying 20-strikeout game in May.He has helped the Nationals work with a rotation that has been weakened by injuries to Stephen Strasburg and Joe Ross along with the inconsistent performance of left-hander Gio Gonzalez.The Nationals also had to trade for Pittsburgh Pirates closer Mark Melancon on July 30 after Papelbon faltered and was eventually released. Melancon converted his first 12 save opportunities before blowing one Friday night at Pittsburgh.It was more of a team effort, Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth said. It was everybody. Everybody contributed. You can look at everybody on the team and say that guys the reason why were here.Thats what good teams are about. Weve got our potential MVP candidate. Weve got our potential Cy Young award winner. But everybodys contributed. Freddie Freeman Jersey . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. Kyle Wright Jersey . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. http://www.custombravesjersey.com/ .com) - The women will also have a new champion at the Australian Open. Phil Niekro Jersey . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Jasseel De La Cruz Jersey . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kevin Harvick has found himself against the ropes in NASCARs playoffs in each of the last two years. Tired of having to fight his way into the championship race, he is determined to leave nothing to chance.A win two weeks ago at New Hampshire earned him an automatic berth in the second round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. Hed like a win Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway to push him right into the third round.For this three-race segment, the 2014 NASCAR champion has eyed Charlotte as a track that gives him a good shot at a victory. The round also goes to Kansas next week before concluding at Talladega Superspeedway.Charlotte is probably the one Im looking forward to the most, Harvick said. Weve had so much success there. Weve run well there, really, every time weve been there with our Stewart-Haas Racing cars.Harvick has three career points victories at Charlotte, including the October race during his championship season. That victory pushed Harvick into the round of eight of the Chase.Hes also has had success racing at night, something Charlotte Motor Speedway President Marcus Smith noted this week. He dubbed Harvick Nighthawk because Harvick has not finished outside the top 10 at night in the last seven races. Hes only been outside the top-five twice in that span.Harvick has also won six times in night races on the NASCAR schedule since 2012.But with practice time during the daylight this weekend, hes not sure what to expect.Charlotte is a really finicky racetrack and, with the way we practice, most of the practice will be done during the day with the race being at night, he said. Temperature has a huge factor in how the racetrack changes, how the pace changes, so you have to try to guess a little bit on that. You have to try to plan and balance all those things to have a good plan, but you have to be ready to abort that plan and come up with a new one on the fly at any given point.CLAUSON-MOST POPULARThe late Bryan Clauson was honored as the fanss favorite driver in the IndyCar Series during a remembrance for the three-time Indianapolis 500 starter.ddddddddddddlauson died from injuries suffered in a sprint car crash in Kansas in August. He was leading when he was involved in the accident, which came in his 116th race of the year. Popular throughout the paddock, Clauson was attempting to race in 200 events this year and was one of the most well-liked drivers in every series.He was remembered during IndyCars season-ending awards ceremony Tuesday night by Conor Daly, who was teammates with Clauson during this years Indianapolis 500 and, like Clauson, grew up in Noblesville, Indiana.You could always tell Bryan had such a strong positive impact on the racing world because everyone across the sport was happy to see him get a shot in the Indy 500, Daly said. It was a true pleasure getting to work with Bryan this year at Indy and to see the whole crowd and everyone around us support him and love seeing him there. He was and forever will be a driver to look up to, a person to strive to be like, and a hero.RACE OF CHAMPIONSJuan Pablo Montoya and Tony Kanaan will both compete in this years Race Of Champions all-star event, which will be held in their adopted hometown of Miami.Kanaan competed in the event in 2004, the year of his IndyCar championship, when it was held in France. The Brazilian partnered with Felipe Massa and the duo advanced to the semifinals.Having the race here in my backyard is the perfect opportunity to be part of it and to race against the biggest names from motorsport around the world, Kanaan said.Montoya will be making his Race of Champions debut. He and Kanaan bring the field to eight confirmed drivers for the event. Also committed to date for the January 21-22 race at Marlins Park Stadium are Ryan Hunter-Reay, Sebastian Vettel, nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen and Kurt Busch. ' ' '