WASHINGTON -- Arriving at Nationals Park on Tuesday on the cusp of the World Series, the Nats ensured they would not lose any momentum as they clinched the first pennant in franchise history with a 7-4 victory over the Cardinals.

The Nationals batted around in the first inning of National League Championship Series Game 4, scoring seven times and taking advantage of multiple Cardinals miscues to knock starter Dakota Hudson out eight batters into the game.

The rally began when Trea Turner singled, Adam Eaton doubled and Anthony Rendon hit a sacrifice fly; five pitches into the game, the Nationals led.

A Juan Soto RBI double extended the margin, an intentional walk put two men on base and then the Cardinals began making defensive mistakes. When the next batter, Ryan Zimmerman, hit a ground ball to third, Tommy Edman fielded it and fired to second, but Kolten Wong dropped the throw for an error to load the bases. Next up was Victor Robles, who hit a pop fly to shallow right field that José Martinez allowed to drop in front of him.

Yan Gomes followed with a two-run single to knock Hudson out of the game, before Turner punctuated the rally with a two-run single off reliever Adam Wainwright, the Cardinals’ Game 2 starter.

All told, the Nationals brought 11 men to the plate as a sold-out crowd roared its approval. Three of the runs Washington scored were unearned. The rally came after Nationals starter Patrick Corbin, working with a three-games-to-none series lead, struck out the side in order in the top of the first.