World Series Game 2 Preview: Washington Nationals at Houston Astros
Just one game into the 2019 World Series, and already it looks like a classic waiting to happen. The Houston Astros entered the series as favorites, but it was the Washington Nationals that came away with the Game 1 win in a tight 5-4 game on Tuesday. The Astros are now -180 favorites to win Game 2 on Wednesday in a virtual must-win for them before the series shifts back to Washington over the weekend.
The Nationals proved in Game 1 that Gerrit Cole is indeed human. Cole lasted seven innings, but he also got knocked around for five runs on eight hits, including home runs by Ryan Zimmerman and Juan Soto.
Meanwhile, the Washington bullpen was up to the challenge once the Nationals got the lead. Max Scherzer tired himself out over five innings, but four relievers combined to take it the rest of the way for Washington. Starter Patrick Corbin contributed another inning while Daniel Hudson and Sean Doolittle both got four outs to hold off the Astros and secure the win.
The Chosen One
Washington will send Stephen Strasburg to the mound in Game 2. As good as Cole had been for the Astros heading into the World Series, Strasburg has been nearly as good for the Nationals in the postseason. Over 22 innings, he’s allowed just four earned runs on 22 hits, giving him a 1.64 ERA. More importantly, he was the winning pitcher in three of his four appearances, including the Wild Card Game. In his most recent start, Strasburg was dominant against the Cardinals, striking out 12 over seven innings and allowing just one unearned run.
The only other time most of Houston’s hitters have seen Strasburg was during a game in August 2017 when he tossed six shutout innings against the Astros, allowing just three hits while striking out seven. On the bright side, leadoff hitter George Springer had two extra-base hits in Game 1. The Astros need him to continue to spark the offense. Rookie Yordan Alvarez also had two hits in Game 1 after a rough postseason, indicating that he might be turning things around.
Varsity Level
Justin Verlander will get the start for the Astros in Game 2. Given his vast playoff success, he might be the perfect pitcher to start a game that Houston has to win. Verlander has had his ups and downs during the postseason, allowing five home runs in 24 1/3 innings and being the losing pitcher in two of his four starts. In fact, things have gone a little downhill for him since tossing seven shutout innings against the Rays in his first start of the postseason. He’s still striking out batters at a high rate, but he’s been vulnerable at times.
Also, some of Washington’s more veteran hitters have seen plenty of Verlander over the years, most notably Asdrubal Cabrera, Howie Kendrick, and Kurt Suzuki. Those guys have just as much of an opportunity to do damage against Verlander as marquee guys like Soto and Anthony Rendon, who have little experience facing him.
Call It Even
Don’t expect the Astros to lose two in a row at home. If the Nationals can get to Cole, the Astros can also get to Strasburg. Look for the bullpens to play a big role in this game, opening the door for plenty of runs to be scored, giving the edge to the hometown Astros. Bet on Houston to win Game 2.
