WASHINGTON D.C. - Astros reliever Will Harris did some serious work for his club in Game 3. Facing the Nationals' best hitters with the Astros' season on the line, Harris kept Houston's lead intact with five enormous outs in an eventual 4-1 win.

Make no mistake, the Astros' season was very much on the line. I know a team has come back from a 3-0 deficit once in the postseason, but there's a reason it's only happened once. Plus, needing to win four straight against Patrick Corbin, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg before a Game 7 where they'd surely re-use almost all three? C'mon. That wasn't gonna happen, so the Astros absolutely had to have Game 3. 

In the Astros' clubhouse afterward, Alex Bregman was asked if he thought Game 3 was a "must-win." He didn't even flinch, just saying, "yes" and then moving on to the next question. 

Things were tenuous for Astros manager A.J. Hinch after he pulled starter Zack Greinke. In the bottom of the sixth, there were two on with one out for the top of the Nationals order. Hinch had few reliable options left in his bullpen, so he had to turn to Harris in a "put out the fire" situation. Harris came in to strike Trea Turner out before getting a weak grounder off the bat of Adam Eaton. 

Next inning, Harris was tasked with facing Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto and Asdrubal Cabrera (who is on fire). Fly out, strikeout, pop out. No worries for Harris.

Five up, five down for the top five spots in the Nationals' order with two inherited runners stranded and two strikeouts. Amazing outing by Harris when his team absolutely had to have it.

"Will has been doing that all season long," said his catcher, Robinson Chirinos, who clubbed a solo homer to help the cause. "He was a guy who had been pitching so huge since day one. He's one of the reasons we are where we are right now. Every time we have those kind of situations, he's making his pitch, he's executed. When you watch a guy like Will and watching him face those types of hitters, it just tells you how good his stuff is."   

Get this, though. While Harris has been getting huge outs all season, the volume was new. Harris only was tasked with going more than an inning three times in the regular season. All three times he got four outs, not five. In the postseason, he only went more than an inning once and that time he also only recorded four outs. This was the longest outing of the season, and it came when the stakes couldn't have been higher. For those who have been paying attention these last few years, it was no surprise. 

"Will Harris in specific has been sort of my security blanket the entire season counting five years back," Hinch said. "This is a guy who hasn't been underappreciated, but probably has not gotten the recognition, except the one year he got to be an All-Star."

Harris himself was ready. 

"I mean, it's the postseason, you kind of know that those are coming," Harris said of one-plus inning outings. "I knew in Game 6 against the Yankees that I was going to have one plus that day.

"When Zack's pitch count was kind of getting a little up there, I pretty much figured today was going to be another one of those days. In a must-win situation, AJ was going to lean on some guys. And so I wasn't caught off guard by it."

Bridging from the middle innings to the eighth allowed Hinch to get the final six outs with his only other two reliable options left in Joe Smith and Roberto Osuna. 

"It was easier for them than it was for me," said starter Zack Greinke, who wasn't bad (4 2/3 IP, 1 ER), but can be his own worst critic. 

"Our bullpen is great," added Jose Altuve. "Will Harris saved us there." 

If the Astros actually do come back and win this thing, remember Harris' work on Friday night. The team won't be forgetting it any time soon.