With the long awaited Fall Classic finally here, baseball fans can't wait to see how this excited duel between the Nationals and Astros will go. Talented starting pitching will be on display, home run hitters, and a lot of thrilling baseball has yet to be played as we preview this upcoming series!
3 storylines to follow
Pitching could be the difference
During a time in which many people are saying the game is relying more and more on home run hitting and less on pitching, the Fall Classic will display a pitching battle like no other. Both teams have three solid starters who could all make a statement for being the team’s ace. The Astros boast a core of Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke and Gerrit Cole, all guys who have come to Houston within the past two seasons. The last time the starting pitching rankings were done by MLB.com, Cole sat at the top spot, followed by Verlander at No. 2 and Zack Greinke not far behind at No. 14. These guys have carried an Astros team that struggled at the plate early on in the postseason. The same could be said for Washington’s starters, as they moved through the playoffs, going 8-2 through the playoffs, including defeating St.Louis four games to none. A large part of this success goes back to aces Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg along with some help from veteran Patrick Corbin. All ranked in the top 7 in starting pitchers, these three have combined for 732 total strikeouts and 43 wins in 2019. Depending on the way both of these team’s starters perform that could easily be the difference in winning or losing a world championship.
A small strike zone will work in Kemp and Altuve’s favor
It’s important to note that while the Nats’ pitching have been extremely efficient and effective, Houston 2B Jose Altuve and OF Tony Kemp could create some problems for these guys. Two of the shortest players in the game right now (Altuve at 5’6 and Kemp at 5’7) they also have two of the smallest strike zones. To add to that, both have good eyes at the plate, pressuring pitchers to either throw strikes or give up a walk. There’s a good chance that Washington’s pitchers have never had to throw in this kind of strike zone, at least not this season, so they won’t be used to it, which could lead to mistakes, like putting the ball too far into the strike zone. As we saw with his walk off homer on Saturday night in the ALCS, Altuve is dangerous at the plate, and Kemp has been too, hitting seven homers in just a short time with the Astros.
Anthony Rendon looks to continue his postseason hit streak
The veteran slugger, who has come alive this postseason as a leader on this young squad, has hit in eight straight postseason games! His batting average of those eight games is a whopping .461 in addition to six walks, raising his on base percentage in the postseason to .529. If there is one guy Houston’s pitchers must stop at all costs, it’s Rendon, as he will get on base at all costs. Another interesting fact about Rendon is that he hails from Houston, so he’ll get a chance to play in front of a “home” crowd. In fact, in 2010, the Houston mayor declared June 29 “Anthony Rendon Day In Houston”!
Where will the games be played?
Game 1: Tuesday, Houston, 7:00pm
Game 2: Wednesday, Houston, 7:00pm
Game 3: Friday, Washington D.C, 7:00pm
Game 4: Saturday, Washington D.C, 7:00 pm
Game 5*: Sunday, Washington D.C, 7:00pm
Game 6*: Tuesday, Houston, 7:00pm
Game 7*: Wednesday, Houston, 7:00pm
*- If necessary
Note: All games to be broadcast on Fox
The Last Time…
To find the last time these two teams met up, you’ll have to go back to 2017, when the Nationals traveled to Houston to battle the future world series champs. However, the Nats took home the series victory winning 2 games to 1. Over the 451 meetings between these two teams, the Astros hold the series advantage 244-207. Of course, many of these games were played when Houston was still a member of the NL. While they have played their fair share of regular season games against each other, they’ve never faced off in the playoffs.
My prediction:
In huge games, and close ones like we will see in this World Series, experience is often key. That's one of the main things the Astros have going in their favor. They've been here before. Not to mention, if their bats can come alive, which they no doubt will at some point in this series, they're stacked lineup will give them all the offense they need to secure a win; and possibly the series. I'm taking the Astros!
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