Game 7. Some of the best words a sports fan can here. Washington forced Game 7 after overcoming Houston star Justin Verlander to win 7-2 on Tuesday night. Now with the a World Series title in sight for both teams, it comes down to this. Max Scherzer vs. Zack Greinke. All hands will be on deck. Expect Gerrit Cole to come out of the bullpen for Houston while Washington will use Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez in relief. Now without further ado, here is the World Series Game 7 preview.
Pitching Matchup
Houston: Zack Greinke will take the mound for the Astros in a do or die game. In Game 3, he went four and 2/3 innings, giving up one run on seven hits, walking three and striking out six. He will need to keep his pitch count down this time around to help out the bullpen. The veteran has struggled this postseason as he is 0-2, with a 5.30 ERA in four starts. Greinke is still looking for his first ring, so expect the future Hall of Famer to step his game up another notch.
Key matchup: Greinke vs. Anthony Rendon
Rendon is the Nationals’ best player and has put his team on his back to force Game 7. Greinke has owned him in the past, as Rendon is hitting only .83 (one for 12) against him. Greinke will need to continue his success against the Nationals’ slugger to give himself a chance at winning their second title. Rendon led the Nationals in RBIs this past season and will need to continue to produce if Washington wants to knock Greinke out of the game early.
Washington: Max Scherzer was scratched from his game five start due to neck problems. This might have been a blessing in disguise for Washington as he will take the mound tonight. He took a cortisone shot and was seen throwing off the mound before Game 6. Scherzer will be on a short leash due to his lingering injury, but will let it fly. Scherzer came up short the last time he reached the World Series and won’t want this opportunity to pass him again.
Key matchup: Scherzer vs. Alex Bregman
Bregman went 0-3 with two strikeouts in Game 1 against Scherzer. Since then the AL MVP candidate has started to heat up and became the youngest AL player to hit three homers in one World Series. Bregman will have plenty of opportunities to bat with runners on and will need to capitalize. Scherzer will have to continue to dominate Bregman to keep the Astros lineup in check. Most notably, Scherzer is prone to giving up the long ball early on in his starts. If Bregman can take advantage, then Scherzer might not be able to settle down.
Feature Image From Sporting News
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