The decision to shut down Stephen Strasburg still doesn't sit well with some members of the Nationals.

An unnamed player told FOX Sports that Washington would have taken a 2-0 lead over St. Louis in the NLDS if Strasburg were on the roster.

The Nationals won Game 1 despite a shaky outing from Gio Gonzalez, but lost Game 2 as the Cardinals pounded starter Jordan Zimmermann.

"If we had (Strasburg), we'd be up 2-0," the anonymous player said.

Strasburg's season ended prematurely in early September as the Nationals stuck to their previously stated plan of limiting him to fewer than 160 innings this season, his first full campaign since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2010.

He went 15-6 with a 3.16 ERA while recording 197 strikeouts in 159 1/3 innings.

Washington's decision to leave Strasburg off the postseason roster almost certainly will be lamented if the Nationals fail to win the World Series.

"We've got to win it," the unnamed player told FOX Sports. "We've got to win it to make it go away."