Cardinals 1 hit yesterday with 2 outs in the 8th. And no hits today through 5 innings. Maybe the Rays wouldn't be the toughest pitching staff the Astros could face this postseason.
I would be ecstatic if the Stros got to face Annibal Sanchez and the rest of the Nats in the World Series.
The Nationals can match us pitcher for pitcher. There's no question about it. However, they are still missing Harper. And that is a hole they cannot plug. There problem will be keeping up with the Astros at the plate because the Astros have proven they can hit the best of the best, but the Nationals have never really shown that and without Harper, it's even more challenging.
Nats team offense: 2019: 873 runs, .796 OPS, 100 OPS+ 2018: 771 runs, .753 OPS, 98 OPS+ 2017: 819 runs, .782 OPS, 99 OPS+
Add Harper to that and it would be even more impressive, but as is, can't hold a candle to Houston. Let me reiterate, the Astros team offense... 2019: 920 Runs, .848 OPS, 119 OPS+
Yeah the Nats have confidence and are really rolling now. Scary good starting pitching. Gotta get to their bullpen, because it’s awful.
I was just pointing out that they plugged that Harper hole just fine this season, contrary to what you said.
Nationals are on a serious roll. The Birds are cooked and will soon be eliminated. The WS may not be a cake walk as expected. Hot teams are dangerous.
Yeah when 1 guy did his World Series prediction, he had the Dodgers winning it, even though he felt the Yankees and Astros were the better team. Reason why he had Dodgers winning it was because he felt the Yankees/Astros series would be a bloodbath, the team he had coming out (can't remember who he had)would have been gassed out in the finals. Yes the Dodgers are out but could apply the same theory with the Nats. But too much rest could also backfire as well. Not playing for awhile, 1st game, they could be out of sync. Maybe game 2 they'll be fine but losing game 1 on the road would be big deal. Also some starting pitchers like their routine. If they go so many days between their last start, it might affect them. Plus their top 3 pitchers(and they have a good number 4)could go head to head against the Astros top 3. If the Astros had trouble with Glasnow(except for 1st inning of game 5), Snell, Morton, and Tanaka, it's not going to be easy against Scherzer, Strasburg, Corbin, and Sanchez.
That may not be a good thing for them. Baseball players aren’t used to a lot of rest and they’ve been going strong without a long break for awhile now.
"Everything I was thinking, they did the opposite," [Adam] Eaton said postgame. "So I was thinking 3-2 [count] should be a heater here, and I'm like, ‘Well, that's the opposite, so I should George Costanza it and just go ahead and sit breaking ball.’ And that's what happened." ... Costanza’s approach worked for Eaton, at least for one at-bat. Wainwright indeed went with his trademark hook, and Eaton pulled it down the line for a clutch two-run double. The insurance runs proved important, as the Cardinals scored a run in the eighth but couldn’t muster any more in the Nationals’ 3-1 win that put them up 2-0 in the series. “George was right, and I happened to be right,” said Eaton. https://www.mlb.com/news/adam-eaton-george-costanza-seinfeld @MadMax