2019 WS - Nationals vs. Astros - Gamethread

DeadlySplitter

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Same schedule as the past few years... Tue/Wed at Houston, Fri-Sun at Washington DC, Tue/Wed again in Houston if we need it, all 8pm starts, all FOX, more of Buck/Smoltz for better or worse (probably worse... you kidding me Buck with "one of the greatest ALCS plays in history" on the Brantley DP?).

Houston's rotation is almost certainly Cole, Verlander, Greinke, Urquidy/bullpen.
Nationals rotation you know will be Scherzer, Strasburg, Corbin, Sanchez. the exact order though I'm not sure between Scherzer & Strasburg.

I have a feeling this is going to be a long series. Sure, the Nats could come out with zero offense like most of the NLDS (they were dominated by Buehler twice, not a great sign for Cole/Verlander) and lose quickly. But they have the SPs to win a couple 3-2, 1-0 type of games and steal them away from Cole/Verlander. And the Astros offense has been inconsistent at best all postseason, while the Nats have had significant contributions from all around their lineup with Kendrick, Zimmerman, Eaton, Robles, even their catchers here and there while Rendon has actually been producing like an MVP (Bregman... nope not yet) and Soto certainly has been much better than Alvarez.

I'm curious how the interleague lineup adjustments will go. For the Astros, they will probably just sit Alvarez, already at DH, unless he comes alive in the next two games, and try to find him a good PH matchup against one of the Nats' middling RH relievers, which they do have plenty of. who do the Nats have on their bench that can serve as a good DH? Maybe Kendrick and put Dozier in at 2B the whole game?
 
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jon abbey

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Here are the potential top six starters by their WAR ranks this year:

fWAR

1 Cole (7.4)
4 Scherzer (6.5)
5 Verlander (6.4)
7 Strasburg (5.7)
9 Greinke (5.4)
13 Corbin (4.8)

bWAR

1 Verlander (7.8)
5 Cole (6.5)
6 Strasburg (6.3)
9 Scherzer (5.8)
11 Corbin (5.7)
14 Greinke (5.6)
 

mikeot

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Matt “ Big City “ Adams most likely will also appear as a Nats DH on occasion, also relieving Zimmerman at first.
 

Ale Xander

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Are we sure it's Verlander for games 2 and 6 instead of Greinke? If Greinke goes game 3, he goes game 7, and I don't think the Astros want all that pressure on him with his past. Plus, Greinke has had more rest.
 

canderson

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IMO this was the best possible WS matchup given the teams involved. Should be a fun series, Washington caught fire at the right time.
 

jose melendez

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IMO this was the best possible WS matchup given the teams involved. Should be a fun series, Washington caught fire at the right time.
The Nats have been really, really good since June. They had a horrible start and have played really good ball since. They are on fire now, but it's not like it came out of nowhere.
 

sean1562

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Juan Soto is easily one of my favorite players in baseball. i hope he has a huge series and really comes to be more of a national presence. That OF duo of Soto and Robles will be fun to watch for years to come
 

DeadlySplitter

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flipping Greinke & Verlander would be interesting. I don't think they'll do it, but...

and yeah, the Nats actually have been winning 2 out of 3 since that 19-31 start. they finished 93-69, so that's 74-38 right there, then a 7-2 postseason so far. that is 2018 Sox level in terms of winning percentage.

their pen is still a weak point but it seems like most of their blow-ups came early in the season, plus maybe some rookie adjustments for the young kids.
 

ifmanis5

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Can only imagine the huge amounts of the gnashing of teeth and the snapping of pencils by the marketing, network and ad folks who had Yankees/Dodgers locked in back in May but now have to slog through Nats/Astros. Tough shit, suits.
 

AB in DC

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Washington is the #6 media market in the country and Houston is #7. It's not like they got Minnesota vs. St Louis or something.
 

SemperFidelisSox

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Greinke is absolutely the right move for Game 3, even if it sets him up for Game 7. It puts him back in the familiarity of an NL park, and he has outstanding career numbers in Natstown in four career starts.
 

jon abbey

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Also he is a good hitter, .888 OPS in 56 PAs this year, 3 HRs, 4 2Bs, and a 3B.
 

InstaFace

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I have not felt particularly inspired to watch much baseball this year, once it was clear that the Red Sox lacked most of the magic that made last season so, well, magical. I'd turn it on to watch a few good matchups, or when my schedule gave me room to make it background for an evening, but I was pretty much a fair-weather fan this year.

Well, I am fucking STOKED for this world series. And not least because it will fill some midweek nights that otherwise would not have great sporting events on. I had to really overplay any perceived slight or douchebaggery to gin up any hatred vs the Astros last year - frankly, I left that series feeling respect and relief more than anything else. And the Nats, now minus Harper, are an incredible story of teamwork, roster construction, and "not doing dumb things". Strasburg has deserved this. Scherzer has probably deserved this (I feel just a teensy bit bad about 2013, Shane Victorino did him dirty). It's probably likelier that the Astros sweep them than the Nats win at all, but the season is already a win for the Nats, so either way this is going to be enjoyable.

Like Jose's other thread suggests, I probably lack a little of the fervor that I had for Cubs-Cleveland, but this isn't far behind. Gonna be a lot of fun.
 

Philip Jeff Frye

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Brian McCann is the best they could come up with to throw out the first pitch? I know he played a big role in 2017, but he hardly comes to mind when I think of all time Astros. Are they not allowed to repeat whomever they used that year?
 

teddywingman

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Go Nats. No Natstown please.

I am not a fan of Houston, even though I love Altuve.

Edit: Since my post didn't add much value; I think the Astros have a culture problem.
 

InstaFace

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And ported from another thread:
The LBJ World Series!
LBJ probably hated Houston with the passion of a thousand suns. He was from the Hill Country, in the sticks due west of Austin. About the only thing he valued in Houston was campaign donations from its oilmen. That said, they're building a monument for him in Houston:

Johnson was born in Stonewall, Texas, in 1908, and came to Houston in 1930 to teach public speaking at Sam Houston High School before leaving a year later to become an assistant to Texas’ “Cowboy Congressman” U.S. Rep. Richard Kleberg. During that time, he became close friends with Houston icons George R. Brown and William P. Hobby.
I guess he also had a strong base of support from the state's Mexican-American minority, which was concentrated as-ever in the state's largest cities. But he was a creature of Washington. LBJ would have rooted for the Nats.
 

Ale Xander

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Brian McCann is the best they could come up with to throw out the first pitch? I know he played a big role in 2017, but he hardly comes to mind when I think of all time Astros. Are they not allowed to repeat whomever they used that year?
Yeah how rare is it to have someone throw out a first pitch in the WS who played for another team in the same year's playoffs?

Why no Nolan? Or Billy Hatcher? or Mike Scott?

Did they all do it in previous Astros WS?
 

SirPsychoSquints

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Brian McCann is the best they could come up with to throw out the first pitch? I know he played a big role in 2017, but he hardly comes to mind when I think of all time Astros. Are they not allowed to repeat whomever they used that year?
Well, they are repeating a bit. JJ Watt threw out one. W Bush is still around, as he threw one out.
 

Ale Xander

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Wasn't sure who I was rooting for prior to yesterday (Altuve/Osuna love/hate v. milder love/hate on both counts with Scherzer/city swamp), but it's clear now, especially since Nats trail title count 0-1 to Astros. Don't want anyone to catch Red Sox 4 titles this century.
 

E5 Yaz

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mauidano

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I'm pulling for the Nats. Kurt Suzuki is a Maui guy so we are pretty excited for him.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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This series is tailor made for the Yankees to sweep. Cole may not pitch again after tonight. I expect NY to go undefeated and take it in 2.74 games.
 

Ale Xander

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I don't mind the bunt, if it was executed, with this pitching matchup. You may not get another chance to manufacture a run.