First pitch is set for the 2019 World Series at approximately 8:08 PM EST. The Washington Nationals and Houston Astros will try to become 2019 World Series Champions. Both teams had different paths leading up to this point. The Nationals had a rough start to the season before turning things around to find themselves in this spot.The Astros’ trip to the Fall Classic came with pretty consistent game play throughout the year. Here is a preview of Game 1:
Pitching
Gerrit Cole is set to start Game 1 for the Astros. The 29-year-old has thrown 22 2/3 innings in the 2019 Postseason while allowing just one run. This gives the potential Cy Young winner an ERA of 0.40 so far this Postseason. His last time on the mound was seven scoreless innings against the Yankees. The Astros would like to see something similar out of Cole tonight.
Max Scherzer is the probable starter for Washington tonight. He has also been pitching very well this season. Through 27 regular season starts, he recorded a 2.92 ERA as well as 243 strikeouts. The veteran right-hander, like Cole, threw seven scoreless innings in his last start. These two guys going against one another on the mound can help set the tone for this series.
Players to Watch For
Houston Astros: Jose Altuve
Jose Altuve added to his Postseason OPS when he hit a walk-off homer against Aroldis Chapman to send Houston to the World Series. He finished the ALCS with a line of .348/.444/.652 and an OPS of 1.097. He also currently has a career line of .304/.337/.506 against active Nationals pitchers. The 5-foot-6 second basemen has been hot at the plate and can certainly contribute to the Astros offense in this series.
Washington Nationals: Anthony Rendon
Anthony Rendon had a great offensive season at the plate. He finished the year with 34 long balls and 44 doubles. His OBP was also over .400 for the 2019 regular season. The 29-year-old also has a favorable line against Gerrit Cole at .385/.467/.385. He hasn’t hit for much power against him, but getting base runners can be really beneficial in the World Series. The Texas native can use playing in his home state as another motivator for the series.
Feature Image Courtesy of Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports as well as Flipboard.
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