2019 World Series -- Houston Astros vs Washington Nationals

Why play with fire with Rodney here?

Lololol Rodney

The legend of Rodney grows.

What year is this?

it is the Year Zero

I mean at this point the Nats better play the lesser part of their bp to prepare for game 5.

fuck this

Silly rules question: Tucker came in as a PH to lead off and is now batting again, does that count as two PH at-bats?

I assume it should not, but as of now, he is hitting in the pitcher's spot and doesn't have a defensive position (I think...)

If a player acts as a pinch hitter and his team bats around in the inning, he may come to the plate a second time. The second (and subsequent) times he bats in the inning are not considered pinch-hitting appearances.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Pinch_hitter

Wonder how they tabulate that in his splits.

Fangraphs: 64.9% Astros trophy

Says 61-39 by ZiPS and would have been 81-19 Nats if they'd won Game 4.

Scherzer's been pulled for tonight because of back spasms. Bad, bad news.

shit

that'll prolly do it

I guess the other way to look at it is--if this is just a one-day thing--they can come back with Strasburg/Scherzer for Games 6 and 7.

maybe but going back to Houston down a game ain't good

really didn't need to see that guy

Nats bats need to wake up.

And now the crowd is chanting "Lock him up!" after Donald Trump was shown. This is not for Anthony Rendon, who they have frequently shouted that for this season. It's for the President.

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) October 28, 2019

i'm calling it: road team is winning all 7 games

That would be a premiere right?

if you mean unprecedented, I believe so

I have a hard time believing the Nats can win two without Max at 100%.

it's baseball, dude

Morbs I’m looking for reassurance here.

Sheesh that call

The ball four pitch to Zimmerman was closer to the plate than the called strike three on Robles.

Maybe Nats fans will do "Lock him up" again when Osuna comes out

welp

Jfc

all I wanted was to not get swept. I guess i win at shitty expectations

Trump getting booed and making sadface is like the cherry on top

It was very heart warming.

I still think there will be 2 more games, u Gloomy Guses, one a 2-HR Soto game

Probably just my disappointment with the Nationals, but it feels like a lousy Series. Max coming back to win Game 7 would be a great storyline.

well the games haven't been close, mostly

Game 1 was close, Game 2 was close until the late innings, but neither was a classic or anything.

A Game 7 would be fun, but the Nats look done to me. Their bullpen has gone back to sucking and I have a feeling that in Game 6, we're in for a rerun of the Matt Harvey Game (WS 2005, Game 5), where Martinez rides Strasburg for an inning too many to avoid letting his bullpen blow the game, only for everything to blow up in his face regardless.

that could happen, certainly

but other things could happen

^^^^Listen to the good Doctor.

Nobody would have predicted that Houston would be down 2-0 (<4% probability) going to DC.

this might be the trauma talking but I do not see this going to a game 7

wait no way did the Nats only have a 4% shot at winning two in Houston. it's not like basketball playoff series where you can wear down players or solve an offense, anyone can beat anyone in the playoffs

Game 6 you have Strasburg (who is IMO the best pitcher in the series) vs. Verlander, who is obviously very good but also possibly kinda gassed? idk I still think the Nats have a better shot than everyone is saying. that said watching their offense be absolutely anemic through 3 home games is probably skewing everyone's expectations

momentum = the next game's pitcher(s)

undefeated in their blue unis

I agree, four percent? That would mean only a 20% shot at winning each individual game.

Reasons #1, 2, and 5 are pretty good reasons, I'd say.

https://www.mlb.com/news/nationals-reasons-2019-world-series-hope

It's all guesswork, especially because nobody knows what's going to happen with Scherzer. They could still win without Scherzer too!

Looking at the five games as a whole, Houston has clearly been the better team, I'd say. But it doesn't mean they won't lose two games in a row ...

Max Scherzer just threw in outfield. Told reporters afterward, “I’m good.”

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 29, 2019

lack of drama

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/why-has-the-world-series-felt-boring/

They had two great stories going in--imposing Goliath vs. insanely hot David, plus the six marquee starters--and while both stories have sort of played out (we've seen both sides of the first story, and some of the starters have been intermittently great), the whole thing hasn't clicked. Lack of lead changes certainly explains a lot.