PLATTSBURGH — The North Country baseball scene is full of New York Yankee and Boston Red Sox fans, but there still is a strong contingent of Montreal Expos fans who are now rooting their hearts out for the Washington Nationals in the World Series.

“This is incredibly exciting,” Joe Coulombe, a Chazy native who now lives in Plattsburgh, said. “It seems surreal. I can’t believe they are up two games. It’s like a dream.”

HARD TO TAKE

Coulombe, 46, became an Expos fan when he was about 5 years old and the team was, of course, based in nearby Montreal.

When the team re-located to Washington after the 2004 season, it was difficult for Coulombe to take.

“I became a (Chicago) Cubs fan because they were bad, and nobody could accuse me of jumping on the bandwagon,” he explained. “I did that for about two years, but my heart wasn’t in it so I eventually switched to the Nationals.”

CARVED OUT WINS

The Nats have had some competitive teams in recent years, making the playoffs only to lose in the early rounds.

This year left smaller hopes as the team lost its flagship player in Bryce Harper to Philadelphia via the free agent market.

But with great pitching, defense and timely hitting, the Nationals have carved out wins in the Wild Card round, the Division Series, the League Championship Series and have forged a 2-0 lead in the Fall Classic so far with wins in Houston Tuesday and Wednesday.

‘HAVE A GREAT SHOT’

The series shifted to Washington, D.C., for Game 3 Friday night, Game 4 Saturday and possibly Game 5 on Sunday.

“It’s been disappointing the past few years. I think it can be more disappointing when your team is good and they come up short,” Coulombe said. “I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but I think we have a great shot now.”

NATIONALS FEVER

The team has adopted the “Baby Shark” theme song from a children’s dance video as their motivation music, and the mood in the Washington, D.C. area has been electric.

“It is more than exciting. Nationals fever has taken over the city,” Lori LaFave said.

LaFave, 50, has been living in the capital area since 1990, operating her political consulting business.

She and her husband made the JumboTron at a recent Washington Capitals hockey game doing the Baby Shark dance as the hockey crowd showed support for their baseball citymates.

LUCKY HAT

Also a Chazy native, and 1987 graduate of Chazy High School where she was a standout athlete, LaFave has been an Expos/Nationals fan as long as she can remember.

“I still have my Lucky Expos hat from when I was 16,” she said. “I wear it to the games and people think it is so retro and cool.”

LaFave said she and her family often go to games at Nationals Park, which is only about seven miles from her home.

THE PLACE TO BE

Going to the ballpark has become a social event for many, she said.

“When they first came down here, they played at the old RFK Stadium, which really isn’t a baseball stadium, it’s a football stadium,” she said. “When they opened Nationals Park, that changed everything. Going to ball games in the summer is the place to be.”

LaFave has tickets to Game 5 on Sunday if the Nationals need it.

“I hope there isn’t a Game 5,” she said.