Here’s Tom Dart’s thoughts on a tense game - and a tense week for the Astros:
Final thoughts
Email from Kenneth A Miller:
You stand corrected.
From Wikipedia,
John Marshall Smith (September 27, 1906 - May 9, 1982) was a utility player in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox during the 1931 season
Okay perhaps Joe Smith doesn’t have the most generic name in baseball history (although he did have the best pitched inning of the game).
I did, at the very least, get things right when I said that the Nationals would pull off the upset today. They have to be relieved: if they had managed to lose this game, it would have been nearly impossible to recover from, they couldn’t expect to get five runs off of Cole a second time around. While it’s not the best of circumstances for Houston, they have a solid shot at righting the ship with a win tomorrow where they will have Justin Verlander on the mound.
The Guardian will have live coverage of tomorrow’s Game 2, as well as every game for what could be a truly dramatic World Series. This will conclude today’s liveblog however, thanks to everybody who followed along and particularly those who contributed. Ciao!
Juan Soto
The story of the game has to be Juan Soto, the 20 year old outfielder who went 3-for-4 with a homer and a double and was responsible for three of the five Washington runs.
The Washington Nationals have handed Gerrit Cole his first loss since May of this year in Game 1 of the World Series! With the win, they have successfully stolen home field advantage from the Houston Astros.
Nationals win!
Nationals 5-4 Astros, FINAL
And Correa lines out to Robles on one pitch! Sometimes the last three outs end up being the least stressful!
Nationals 5-4 Astros, bottom 9th
Gurriel is up next. Doolittle’s first two pitches are outside. 2-0. He flies out to Robles on the next pitch. The Nationals are one out away from taking a 1-0 lead in the World Series.
Nationals 5-4 Astros, bottom 9th
I would imagine the Nationals are hoping that Doolittle can get them three more outs and end this thing here. He has to face Bregman to start things off, which, you know, no pressure. Bregman takes a ball just outside and then a strike that’s just a little bit closer. 1-1. The next pitch? Not so close. 2-1. Doolittle throws a strike right down the middle that Bregman lays off for some reason. 2-2. And…
Bregman strikes out! Two away!
BEHIND THE SCENES: I just grabbed a bottle of ice tea because I’m 100% certain that we’re going to be here for a while. This feels like a game destined for extra innings.
Nationals 5-4 Astros, top 9th
Kurt Suzuki is up next, he takes a strike and then just barely gets out of the way of a ball outside. 1-1. Suzuki fouls the next pitch off. 1-2. Smith, something of a submariner, then gets a strike three call and in an instant there are two out. And in another instant, Robles pops up to short. Can the Astros rally in the bottom of the ninth? Let’s find out!
Nationals 5-4 Astros, top 9th
Joe Smith, the most generically name major leaguer in baseball history, is up now for the Astros. He will be facing Ryan Zimmerman who grounds out immediately.
Nationals 5-4 Astros, bottom 8th
The left-handed Doolittle, Baseball Twitter’s unofficial mascot, is in the game to get Brantley. His first pitch is a strike up in the zone. 0-1. He gets a call on the next pitch, a tad borderline perhaps, but it gets the job done. 0-2. Brantley fouls off the next pitch. Still 0-2. Brantley makes good contact on the next pitch but it’s an out to Soto in the outfield. The Nationals are out of the inning, but they are still going to need three more outs.
Nationals 5-4 Astros, bottom 8th
This one is going extra innings isn’t it? Altuve is on, with Springer on second with just one out. Altuve chases a 1-1 pitch to make it a 1-2. He fouls the next off but just barely. Altuve flies out on the next pitch, which will bring up Brantley. Martinez is out to get Hudson and in comes Sean Doolittle.
Run-scoring double (Astros)
Nationals 5-4 Astros, bottom 8th
Springer is up and he hits one looooong… NEARLY out of the park but it just barely stays in. Tucker scores and it’s a one run game!
Nationals 5-3 Astros, bottom 8th
Diaz, still hitless this post season, is here with Tucker on. He flies out, but he does get the runner to second so it’s not unproductive.
Nationals 5-3 Astros, bottom 8th
Kyle Tucker is in to pinch-hit against Hudson, who I guess the Nationals hope can make it through the eighth. Tucker has other plans as he hits a single.
Nationals 5-3 Astros, top 8th
It’s up to Cabrera here, that is if Soto doesn’t get caught off the bag as he seems to still have Houston’s attention. Harris’ first pitch to Cabrera is a breaking ball for a strike and his second is fouled off. Washington has one more strike left here in the eighth. Protecting the plate, Cabrera fouls the next pitch off. Still 0-2. Harris throws a pitch that the catcher has to cover. 2-1. Harris’s next pitch is a ball and Soto steals second when the throw goes into the outfield. It doesn’t matter as Cabrera strikes out on the very next pitch.
Nationals 5-3 Astros, top 8th
Howie Kendrick is up with Soto at first. Given the bullpen, an extra run here would be massive. That’s one of the reasons that Harris is paying attention to Soto at first, worried that he might try to get into scoring position on his lonesome. Soto goes on Kendrick’s swing, but it’s a routine fly and he has to scurry back.
Nationals 5-3 Astros, top 8th
Juan Soto, the hero of the game, is up here. He falls behind 0-2 quickly but then pokes a single up the middle.
Nationals 5-3 Astros, top 8th
Righthander Will Harris will be pitching the top of the 8th for Houston, facing Rendon, who hits one in the air to Altuve.
Nationals 5-3 Astros, bottom 7th
Correa hits an infield single to load the bases. It’s all up to Alvarez here for the Astros. He takes a strike on the outside corner. 0-1. He fouls the next one off. 0-2. Have to expect the next one will be outside here. It is, it’s high, and Alvarez swings any way and makes no contact. Hudson leaves them loaded! Davey Martinez’s gambit pays off!
Nationals 5-3 Astros, bottom 7th
Daniel Hudson is in to face the dangerous Gurriel. Good for Washington for using their best reliever in what could be the most key moment of the game (although it’s worth wondering where the Nationals go from here). Gurriel fouls back Hudson’s first pitch, takes a pitch and then fouls another one. Hudson’s ahead 2-1 and he gets Gurriel to sky one high for an easy out. Two down in the inning.
Nationals 5-3 Astros, bottom 7th
Rainey falls behind Bregman 2-0. That’s six straight pitches off the plate. Make that seven. Daniel Hudson warms up with purpose in the bullpen although he’s the nominal closer. Bregman takes a strike. It’s a 3-1 count. The Astros crowd is getting loud. Bregman takes a pitch on a corner for… a strike. 3-2. Bregman fouls off the next offering. Still 3-2 as the payoff pitch doesn’t pay off.
And the next pitch is outside and that’s going to do it for Rainey.
Nationals 5-3 Astros, bottom 7th
Or, never mind, Rainey walks Brantley on four pitches and here comes Alex Bregman.
Nationals 5-3 Astros, bottom 7th
Rainey doesn’t seem too rattled as he gets Altuve to strike out on four pitches (and he barely lays off the one ball).
Home run! (Astros)
Nationals 5-3 Astros, bottom 7th
Tanner Rainey comes out of the bullpen (no fans of 1980s political satire, he does not have the number 88). His inning begins with Springer and… there it is, we have an official Springer Dinger!
Seventh Inning Stretch
I never get tired of this.
Nationals 5-2 Astros, top 7th
Adam Eaton flies one out and Cole finally has a 1-2-3 inning. We’re at the Seventh Inning Stretch!
Nationals 5-2 Astros, top 7th
Cole falls behind Turner 3-0 before getting a called strike. Turner lunges at a ball just to foul it off. It’s 3-2 and Turner gets into protect-the-plate mode, fouling off two straight Cole pitches as Cole hits the century mark. On pitch 102, Turner strikes out.
Nationals 5-2 Astros, top 7th
Cole is still in the game, facing Robles. Diaz remains in the game, playing left field as Brantley shifts to right and I don’t even finish getting all that straight before Robles takes his own fascist strikeout.
Daniel Stauss:
Tom Hanks had the second-best philosophy of baseball. The first, of course, is from Crash Davis: Strikeouts are boring and fascist, ground balls are more democratic.
Of course, the writer of “Bull Durham” borrowed that particular philosophy from eccentric junkballer Bill Lee who pitched for both the Boston Red Sox and the Montreal Expos a.k.a. the team the Nationals used to be.
Nationals 5-2 Astros, bottom 6th
Aledmys Diaz comes off the bench to face Corbin with two out and a runner on first. He takes a mighty cut on Corbin’s first pitch, a 94 mph heater. Diaz fouls off the next one and he’s already in a hole. 0-2. He grounds out to second to end the inning. We’re headed to the seventh.
Nationals 5-2 Astros, bottom 6th
Maldonado is up next and he works a full count before striking out.
Nationals 5-2 Astros, bottom 6th
Alvarez hits a single on a 2-1 pitch, the Astros have a one-out baserunner.
Nationals 5-2 Astros, bottom 6th
Corbin’s first batter is Correa and he strikes him out. That’s as good as way as any to introduce one’s self.
Nationals 5-2 Astros, top 6th
Suzuki flies out and that’s not a real 1-2-3 inning because there was a hit in there, but it’s close enough for me. It’s looking like Corbin is pitching the bottom of the sixth for Washington.
Nationals 5-2 Astros, top 6th
And Zimmerman immediately grounds into a double play. Man did Cole need that.
Nationals 5-2 Astros, top 6th
Cole is still in the game for the Astros. Cabrera is at the plate. I love American League games: you get continuity. Until like the seventh and managers try to piece together innings with like four different relievers who throw like two pitches each (stay tuned for that). Cabrera hits a clean single to start things off. Now it’s Houston’s time to start getting their bullpen stirring.
The trailer for the Tom Hanks movie about Mr. Rogers comes on which is inconvient because I cannot tear up right out I’m doing a baseball blog and if there’s one thing that Tom Hanks told me about baseball...
Nationals 5-2 Astros, bottom 5th
Gurriel who is responsible for the Astros runs is up next, possibly as Scherzer’s last hitter of the night. He makes Scherzer work, getting into a 2-2 count and then fouling a few pitches off but he swings and misses to end the inning.
Nationals 5-2 Astros, bottom 5th
This would be a great time for Bregman to come out of his postseason funk. Meanwhile, starter Patrick Corbin is throwing in the bullpen because Washington doesn’t quite trust their relieving core. Bregman grounds out, but only barely. Zimmerman has to dig out a long throw from short to get the second out of the inning.
Nationals 5-2 Astros, bottom 5th
Now comes the interesting part: how long does Scherzer stay in the game. If this were a regular season game, the manager might try to get their starter through five so they could get the win. These individual stats are not things that should matter in the World Series but who knows. Scherzer’s out there to start the fifth, at least, with Brantley at the plate. Grantley hits his 99th pitch to Robles. That’s one down in the bottom of the 5th.
Nationals 5-2 Astros, top 5th
Soto’s on second and Howie Kendrick is at the plate. He nearly drives him home but Correa makes an outstanding diving catch to end the inning.
Run-scoring double (Nationals)
Nationals 5-2 Astros, top 5th
Juan Soto has to jump out of the way of Cole’s first pitch. Cole’s second pitch is also well outside. 2-0. The next is even further outside. 3-0. He’s very close to loading the bases. Cole gets a strike on the next pitch to make it 3-1. Soto takes a crazy swing at a changeup and Cole actually could get out of this one. It’s 3-2.
Cole doesn’t, Soto takes a sweet swing on a slider and drives in two more runs with a double. Wow!
Nationals 3-2 Astros, top 5th
Rendon beats out a double play to keep Washington alive. Robles is at third, but there are two outs now.
Run-scoring single (Nationals)
Nationals 3-2 Astros, top 5th
Big spot for Adam Eaton who takes a strike that he couldn’t have done much with and then knocks in Suzuki to give the Nationals their first lead of the Series!
Nationals 2-2 Astros, top 5th
Trea Turner takes a ball that’s way off and then takes a mighty cut just to foul the next offering from Cole. On 1-1 he takes a pitch outside. 2-1. He barely checks a swing on a ball outside. 3-1. He skies one for an out, but at least Suzuki is able to make it to third on the play, so the Nationals can take a lead on an out here. Of course, that requires making contact off of Cole.
Nationals 2-2 Astros, top 5th
Robles is up next with a runner on first. He’s trying to bunt here and he falls behind 0-2 which serves him right. He decides that it would make more sense to get a base hit, which he does. That’s runners on first and second with nobody out. Do the Nationals have something cooking here?
Nationals 2-2 Astros, top 5th
Kurt Suzuki, who has been doing a masterful job blocking the plate this game, is up to start the fifth inning. He takes the first ball four that Cole has issued tonight.
That was an epic at-bat and it showed you both the strengths and weaknesses of the Astros this postseason: they work counts, they get on base but they don’t always get that big hit. That will probably change when they aren’t, you know, facing Scherzer.
Nationals 2-2 Astros, bottom 4th
Altuve takes a swing on Scherzer’s first pitch but it’s a foul ball. 0-1. Scherzer’s next pitch is outside, it certainly feels like this could be the biggest at-bat of the game. Scherzer throws a 95 mph heater that Altuve lunges at, man did he need that. 1-2. The next pitch is very low. 2-2. Altuve chops one foul. We’re still at 2-2. Scherzer’s next pitch is outside and it’s 3-2. Good god this is stressful no matter who you are rooting for, to be honest.
So of course Altuve just fouls off the next pitch. That’s the seventh of this at-bat alone. The Nationals are not going to get the max out of Scherzer tonight, innings-wise. They’ll settle for getting out of this one. And they do, Altuve chops it back to the pitcher and the inning is finally over.
Nationals 2-2 Astros, bottom 4th
Scherzer throws two balls to start of Springer. It’s exhausting just to watch his delivery to be honest. He throws a strike to make it 2-1. 85 pitches now. He’s really going to want to get Springer here if he wants to get much farther in this game. His 86th pitch is a ball. Springer has a hitter’s count now but he swings right through a gorgeous breaking ball. 3-2.
And it’s a ball. There’s two on now and Altuve is up. Not what you want.
Nationals 2-2 Astros, bottom 4th
Josh Reddick swings and immediately complains that the bat hit Suzuki’s mitt but umpires fail to call catcher’s interference. A break for Washington. Scherzer’s next two pitches are outside and Reddick pops one up to Soto irritated at the fact that he probably should have been awarded first.
Nationals 2-2 Astros, bottom 4th
Maldonado shows bunt and falls behind 0-2. I question this strategy. Scherzer throws another ball that Suzuki has to block and then another pitch well outside. It’s 2-2. And then 3-2. 77 pitches now for Scherzer. On pitch 78, Maldonado hits one long but not that long and it’s just the first out.
Nationals 2-2 Astros, bottom 4th
Alvarez hits a single to start off the fourth. He’s not going to get a 1-2-3 inning in this game, is he?
Nationals 2-2 Astros, bottom 4th
And Zimmerman strikes out as well. We have a brand new ballgame here, but now the question is how much does Scherzer have in the tank.
Nationals 2-2 Astros, top 4th
Apparently, Washington hitting coach Kevin Long had called Soto’s home run off of Cole… yesterday. In any case, Cole isn’t rattled, he gets Cabrera to strike out on three pitches. Zimmerman is up next.
Nationals 2-2 Astros, top 4th
Howie Kendrick is up next and he hits a fly ball for the inning’s first out.
Home run! (Nationals)
Nationals 2-2 Astros, top 4th
Juan Soto is up representing the tying run… and HE IS THE TYING RUN. He elevates Cole’s second pitch into the atmosphere.
Scherzer gets out of it, but he's thrown 69 pitches in 3.0 IP, which is, as they say, not what you want
— Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri) October 23, 2019
I’m not going to say it. I’m not going to say it. I’m not going to say it...
Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 3rd
Robles looks a little bit shook up and now the umpires get into a conference about whether Houston’s third base coach committed interference but they don’t call it. With two runners in scoring position, Correa is up with a chance to do big damage.
Instead he swings and misses on what was probably a ball. Scherzer is finally out of the inning. He doesn’t allow any runs but he has been made to work.
Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 3rd
Bregman is up now with one out and one on and he… strikes out. Still not in a groove it seems. Next comes Gurriel, who had the big hit of the Series so far. This time around… he hits a flyball that Robles can’t get to. The runners hold up on second and third.
Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 3rd
Brantley gets a piece of a Scherzer cutter and hits a solid single. This is not going to be a quick inning, it seems.
Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 3rd
Altuve’s up to lead off the third, he hits a lazy flyball out as the FOX cameras fixate on the Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt who is in the stands to support the hometown team.
Daniel Stauss:
In one of the ALCS games (game 5?), Houston was up 5 in the 9th and Alex Bregman worked a 9-pitch at bat for a walk. This is a merciless lineup.
It’s weird that they struggled to hit with runners in scoring position during the Yankees series, but maybe that was a side effect of them always getting on base. It’s easy to strand baserunners when you have so many of them.
Updated
Nationals 1-2 Astros, top 3rd
Adam Eaton smokes a single into the outfield, so there’s a man on for Rendon. Cole gets ahead of Rendon 0-2 and he just barely checks his swing on a pitch outside to stay alive. On 1-2, Eaton almost gets picked off. That’s two close-calls. Rendon fouls off Cole’s next two pitches. Rendon hits a long fly but it’s not long enough. Springer is there to catch it and end the threat.
Nationals 1-2 Astros, top 3rd
Cole throws a looping breaking ball out of the strike zone to Victor Robles who then pops up to Gurriel. That’s a quick start. Turner grounds out almost immediately afterward.
The Houston strategy:
48 pitches in the first 2 innings for Scherzer.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) October 23, 2019
He threw 101 over 7 innings in his start in the NLCS.
Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 2nd
Springer is thinking homer on his first swing, but doesn’t connect and then takes a heater on the bottom half of the plate for strike two. Scherzer tries to get Springer to chase a ball way too wide (or maybe he just misses his spot badly). On 1-2, Scherzer throws a change up that doesn’t catch the plate. 2-2. The next pitch is way outside. Another full count. No matter what happens, we’re going to see the Washington bullpen.
He does get a call on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning though.
Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 2nd
Josh Reddick is up next and he takes two balls, Scherzer’s been outside the zone quite a bit this outing so far. On 2-0, Reddick fouls one off and takes ball 3. Scherzer’s up to 40 pitches now, which is what you want to see if you’re rooting for Houston. On 3-1, Reddick fouls another off. And on 3-2, Reddick hits a pop up. Two down and a good chance to get out of this inning without any damage.
Unless there is a Springer Dinger.
Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 2nd
Martin Maldonado is up there with a runner on first. Scherzer gets ahead 0-2 and is about to throw a pitch when time is called by… somebody. Everybody seems annoyed. Scherzer’s next pitch is very wild but Suzuki blocks it and Maldonado hits a harmless flyball for the first out of the inning
Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 2nd
Scherzer is back out there to face Yordan Alvarez who thinks he’s walked on a 3-1 pitch but it’s a pitch right on the corner. He does walk on the very next pitch however.
Nationals 1-2 Astros, top 2nd
FOX measures the home run at 413 feet. Not a cheapie, in other words. Kurt Suzuki follows it up with a solid at-bat, working a 3-2 count, but he grounds out to short despite nearly beating the tag. Still, a very big inning for Washington.
Home run! (Nationals)
Nationals 1-2 Astros, top 2nd
And we’re already at a 2-1 game so maybe my low-scoring game prediction was off. Longtime National Ryan Zimmerman hits a home run and it’s a one-run game.
Nationals 0-2 Astros, top 2nd
Asdrubal Cabrera is up next, he pops up to the infield.
Nationals 0-2 Astros, top 2nd
Cole throws a strike to Howie Kendrick who not only is still in the league but has been the Nationals’ most important player. This time around he just grounds out to short.
Email from Lafcadio Zuccarello:
It’s been two years since I first emailed you about saying Springer-Dinger when he hits a home run. I’m just getting in early this series!
Well a walk and a run isn’t quite a home run but it’s worth the same for the Astros.
Nationals 0-2 Astros, bottom 1st
Carlos Correa is up to bat now, with Gurriel on second. Correa works a full count, Scherzer’s already up to 25 pitches and gets a strikeout on the 26th but Houston has struck first and that may be all that Gerrit Cole needs.
Run-Scoring Double! (Astros)
Nationals 0-2 Astros, bottom 1st
Yuli Gurriel is up next and Scherzer immediately gets ahead of him 0-2. He’s a strike away from getting out of the early jam… and his next pitch is, uh, not that strike.
And Gurriel hits a double that scores two! The Astros are immediately on top!
Nationals 0-0 Astros, bottom 1st
Scherzer would like a strikeout here, but he throws another pitch that catcher Kurt Suzuki has to block. On 2-2, Bregman strikes out but, on the K, Altuve takes second.
Nationals 0-0 Astros, bottom 1st
Scherzer gets ahead of Bregman 0-2 and then uncorks a wild pitch that allows Springer to slide into third and now the Astros can score on an out.
Nationals 0-0 Astros, bottom 1st
Scherzer gets ahead of Michael Brantley 0-2 and then gets Brantley to swing and miss for the first out of the bottom of the 1st. ANd here comes Alex Bergman, to MVP chants.
Nationals 0-0 Astros, bottom 1st
Jose Altuve picks up right where he left off, scalding a single and the Astros have runners on first and second and nobody out. In a game that could very well be a low-scoring game this could be decided right here and now.
Nationals 0-0 Astros, bottom 1st
George Springer leads off for Houston against the Nationals’ Max Scherzer and he works a full count walk. So both sides get their leadoff man on.
Email from Sammy Lopez Metta Bexar:
Being from and in Texas, I suppose I default root for the Astros (even as a Cubs fan)... But I wonder, given all the talk of pitching and bullpen, wouldn’t it be good to have a relief MBMer? Bottom of the 6th, to step in when the going gets too dang long?
Considering my many whiffs and errors in the preamble I could have used an Opener for this one.
Nationals 0-0 Astros, top 1st
Juan Soto comes out with a chance to drive in Turner and instead he flails and leaves Turner at second. The single and stolen base don’t come back to hurt him. ,
Nationals 0-0 Astros, top 1st
Anthony Rendon is up next trying to drive in an early run against Cole. Instead, he strikes out on three straight pitches.
Nationals 0-0 Astros, top 1st
Eaton attempts to bunt Turner over but instead pops it right up for the first out of the game.
First pitch
Nationals 0-0 Astros, top 1st
Trea Turner takes the first pitch for a ball and then hits a single after the second. Then he steals second with Adam Eaton at the plate. There’s a decent start for Houston.
Email from Daniel Stauss:
I’d like to see the Astros sweep, just to finally shake off the sadness that was 2005, but I don’t see that happening. I’m hoping it’ll be done in 5, but like any good Houston fan, I can’t ever rule out the possibility of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I’ll be a wreck until the final out, regardless.
I can’t see a sweep as good as Houston has been but five games wouldn’t be shocking.
Updated
Houston Astros starters
Today’s starting lineup for the Houston Astros: World Series game one pic.twitter.com/cKkjmtlBeh
— AUSTIN STERN (@AustinStern3) October 22, 2019
Washington Nationals starters
GUESS. WHAT. DAY. IT. IS. #Scherzday // #STAYINTHEFIGHT pic.twitter.com/bXVih3gu0p
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) October 22, 2019
National Anthem
Normally I spend some time here grading the National Anthem but I had t spending a minute to re-finagle the preamble where, as you have pointed out, I somehow traded Gerrit Cole for Max Scherzer in mid-paragraph.
I have since fixed, my apologies to all.
Email from Patrick Megan:
Greetings from Hong Kong. It’s almost 8am, I’ve got my toast and coffee ready for the start of the game but I have a feeling I’ll be here for lunch too. These playoff games are taking longer than NFL games and that’s saying something.
Hang in there.
This will either be super-quick, like a relatively crisp pitcher’s battle or we’re going to extra innings and it’s going be like four plus hours. No middle ground.
Predictions
Since this is Game 1, there’s no better time than now to make a series prediction. I have to say that I think the Astros win in six games but, but, the Nationals are going to give them a scare by pulling out a 2-1 win tonight. Expect lots and lots of strikeouts.
Agree? Disagree? Feel free to send your predictions this way, either via email (to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com) or Twitter (@HunterFelt).
It’s incredibly weird to see Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz as analysts rather than players. Baseball definitely has a way to make you feel your age.
It is, however, great to see Ortiz on the mend after being seriously hurt in a shooting back in June.
I’m sure the MLB was hoping for controversy-free World Series, well the Houston Astros have e. Last year, the Astros traded for reliever Robert Osuna, who was serving a 75 game suspension for domestic violence. (The charges were eventually dropped when the woman in question refused to testify, but the league’s investigation determined there was enough there to warrant the suspension.) He has since gone on to become the team’s closer.
According to a report by Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein, a report which was later collaborated by other witnesses, after the Astros Game 6 victory over the Yankees, Astros assistant GM Brandon Taubman turned to a group of female reporters present and yelled “Thank God we got Osuna! I’m so f---ing glad we got Osuna!” in a taunting manner. (This, despite the fact that Osuna had actually blown the save in Game 6 and only received a win thanks to Jose Altuve’s walk-off home run.)
The Astros quickly released a statement denying that the incident happened as described. Following further corroboration, the Astros then decided that this strategy wasn’t going to work out so today they issued further statements that did little to undo the damage already done.
Astros Assistant GM Brandon Taubman and owner Jim Crane have released the following statements: pic.twitter.com/6v5nfXQNCE
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) October 22, 2019
The MLB is now investigating the incident, all but ensuring that we haven’t heard the end of the story. Nor should we.
Preamble
Welcome to the 2019 World Series which, in grand MLB tradition is between a team that pretty much everybody expected to be here and a team that snuck its way in. The Houston Astros were the best team in baseball for a long stretch, winning a ridiculous 107 games, a handful more than the New York Yankees team that they defeated in the American League Championship Series.
The Washington Nationals’ 93-69 regular season record doesn’t look too bad in a vacuum, but it was only enough for a second place finish in their division and only guaranteed an appearance in the National League Wild Card game. Of course, they beat the Milwaukee Brewers in that game, stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS and then swept an inert St Louis Cardinals team on their way to the World Series. Essentially, we’re getting the best team in baseball vs. the hottest team in the postseason.
How did they get there? Well, it turns out that starting pitching is somewhat important. Houston has the luxury of putting out Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke as their top three alongside a very potent lineup of hitters. The Nationals are countering with Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and veteran Anibal Sanchez who is on an impressive run. The Nationals bullpen is, well, not quite as good as the Astros’, but it hasn’t mattered much recently. One of the advantages of skipping a Game 5 and 6 is that you don’t have as many innings to hand off to your lesser pitchers.
So, who has the advantage in this all-important Game 1? Well, Cole and the Astros have the luxury of starting this game at their own stadium but the. Can Washington’s bats find a way to get to Cole and pull off the upset and reclaim home field advantage?
Well, we’re about to find out. If you would like to contribute to the blog, you can email your thoughts to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com or tweet them to @HunterFelt throughout the next few hours and we’ll include them in this liveblog along the way. It’s Game 1 of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park. First pitch is scheduled around 8:08pm EST but we’ll be back well before then.
Updated
Hunter will be here shortly, in the meantime here’s how the two teams are shaping up before tonight’s game:
