By Jeremy Kahn

Jake Peavy saved his best performance in a postseason game for the opener of the 2014 National Division Series.

Peavy took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, as he went 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and the San Francisco Giants hung on late to defeat the Washington Nationals 3-2 at Nationals Park.

It was the first ever win in the postseason for Peavy, who was 0-3 with a 9.27 earned run average prior to his win in game one against a tough Nationals team on their home turf.

With the victory, the Giants won their ninth consecutive postseason game, setting a new National League record for most consecutive wins.

The last time the Giants lost in the postseason came against the St. Louis Cardinals, as they trailed the then reigning World Champions 3-1 and won the series in seven. The Giants then swept the Detroit Tigers for their second World Championship in three years.

Rookie Joe Panik continues show everyone that his nerves about his first postseason are not there, as he drove in the Giants first run in the top of the third inning, when he singled in Travis Ishikawa.

Brandon Belt increased the Giants lead up to 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning, as he singled in Hunter Pence.

Buster Posey drove in that all important third run in the top of the seventh inning with an infield single to score Panik.

That Posey infield single was huge, as the Nationals finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Bryce Harper hit a solo home run into the third deck of the right field seats they was measured at 445 feet.

Just two batters later, Asdrubal Cabrera got the Nationals within one run with a solo home run of his own.

Both of the Nationals home runs came off of rookie Hunter Strickland, who struck out Ian Desmond to end the bottom of the sixth inning after Javier Lopez walked a batter, then Bruce Bochy turned to the rookie.

Jeremy Affeldt got the last out of the inning, before turning it over to Sergio Romo, who struck out Desmond and got Harper to groundout to end the eighth inning.

Santiago Casilla pitched a perfect ninth inning to notch the save for the Giants.