For the third time in the last four years and the fifth time this decade, the major league champion will be decided in Game 7 of the World Series.
The game is being broadcast on Fox and streamed on FoxSports.com.
Here’s what you need to know:
3rd Inning: Greinke Burning Through Nats’ Lineup
Another inning of efficiency from Zack Greinke and escapism from Max Scherzer.
In the top half of the inning, Greinke continued his quiet efficiency, once again needing just eight pitches to get through the Nationals. A grounder back to the pitcher and two fly balls to center were all Washington could muster. Greinke has faced the minimum number of batters through three innings while needing just 28 pitches to get there.
Jose Altuve stroked a single to left to lead off the bottom half of the inning. After Michael Brantley flied out to left, Alex Bregman walked. That brought up Yuli Gurriel, who had homered just one inning before, but this time he got under the pitch and flied out to right. Scherzer then got out of yet another jam when Yordan Alvarez drove a ball to deep center field that found its way into Victor Robles’s glove.
Scherzer is one pitch short of having thrown twice as many as Greinke.
2nd Inning: Astros Draw First Blood
The Astros struck first, taking a 1-0 lead on a homer by Yuli Gurriel.
In the top of the first, Juan Soto singled off Zack Greinke for the first hit of the game for either team, but he wasn’t on base long as Greinke induced a comebacker from Howie Kendrick that the Astros turned into a 1-4-3 double play. Greinke then finished off the scoreless inning by getting Asdrubal Cabrera to ground out sharply to first.
Gurriel led off the bottom half of the inning, and he crushed a 2-1 slider from Max Scherzer 389 feet to left center for his second home run of the postseason. Back to back singles by Yordan Alvarez and Carlos Correa then put Scherzer in a tight spot. He got the first out on a pop-up by Robinson Chirinos to the catcher in foul territory and got a second on a grounder to first from Josh Reddick that advanced the runners to second and third. But Scherzer escaped when George Springer hit a sinking liner into left that Soto was barely able to snare.
Scherzer got out of the inning with relatively little damage, but coming off an injury he had to labor a bit, and he is up to 33 pitches in the game.
1st Inning: Scherzer and Greinke Off to Good Starts
After last night’s intense first inning, today’s opening frame was remarkably quiet, with both Zack Greinke and Max Scherzer looking strong.
Greinke needed just eight pitches to cruise through a 1-2-3 inning. Trea Turner smoked a liner down the third base line that Alex Bregman snared for the first out. Adam Eaton hit a little dribbler in front of the plate and was thrown out at first by Robinson Chirinos and Anthony Rendon grounded out to third.
In the bottom half of the inning, Scherzer was not quite as sharp, but he still held the Astros scoreless. He got Houston’s leadoff man, George Springer, to fly out to center. Jose Altuve grounded out softly to short and after Scherzer walked Michael Brantley on five pitches, he got out of the inning when Alex Bregman flied out to right.
Lineups
Astros
1. George Springer CF
2. Jose Altuve 2B
3. Michael Brantley LF
4. Alex Bregman 3B
5. Yuli Gurriel 1B
6. Yordan Alvarez DH
7. Carlos Correa SS
8. Robinson Chirinos C
9. Josh Reddick RF
Zack Greinke P
Nationals
1. Trea Turner SS
2. Adam Eaton RF
3. Anthony Rendon 3B
4. Juan Soto LF
5. Howie Kendrick DH
6. Asdrubal Cabrera 2B
7. Ryan Zimmerman 1B
8. Yan Gomes C
9. Victor Robles CF
Max Scherzer P
Pregame Story Lines
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A mostly uninspiring World Series turned on its head Tuesday when the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros, 7-2, in a dramatic Game 6 full of heroes, subplots and memorable moments, all to set up baseball’s ultimate game.
Will the Nationals win their first World Series as a franchise, and the first for the city of Washington since the old Senators won it in 1924? Or will the Astros win a second championship in three years?
“We have a great opportunity tomorrow to play a home game, Game 7 of the World Series,” Astros Manager A.J. Hinch said after Game 6 on Tuesday. “Maybe not how we drew it up in terms of how we got there, but it doesn’t take away the opportunity we have to win the World Series.”
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But does playing at home even matter? Or, worse, is it actually a detriment? This World Series has already broken ground as the first in which the visiting team won the first six games. That is especially remarkable considering that the Astros had the best home record in baseball this regular season (60-21). What, then, explains this anomaly? None of the players, coaches or managers (or reporters) have any clear reasons for it, other than pure fluke.
“It’s weird, really,” Nationals Manager Dave Martinez said after Game 6. “I mean, we can’t explain it. I know we were trying to win games at home and just couldn’t do it. We came here today and, like I say, behind Stephen Strasburg we played really well.”
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The Game 7 matchup is just as intriguing as Game 6 was, between Strasburg and Justin Verlander. Tonight will feature Max Scherzer for the Nationals against Zack Greinke of the Astros. Greinke has been O.K. in the postseason, but Scherzer has been stellar. The only question is, will he be healthy?
Scherzer was supposed to start Game 5 in Washington on Sunday, but was scratched because of spasms in his upper back and neck. He said it was so bad the morning of the game that he could not lift his arm, and his wife had to help him dress. He took a cortisone shot later that day, which takes about 48 hours to work. On Tuesday afternoon, Scherzer threw in the outfield before the game and proclaimed himself ready to go for Game 7.
As it turned out, he was even ready to go by Game 6. He warmed up in the Nationals’ bullpen during the game, and if Anthony Rendon had not hit a two-run homer in the seventh to extend Washington’s lead to 5-2, Scherzer may have gone into the game for the bottom of that inning.
“There were a lot of phone calls those last three innings,” said Sean Doolittle, the Nationals relief pitcher. “But he was ready to go. He looked good. He looked clean and full on ready to go.”
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Game 6 featured some entertaining histrionics between the cleanup hitters for both teams, but it is doubtful it will carry over to Game 7. Alex Bregman homered in the first inning and carried his bat all the way to first base, a serious no-no in baseball etiquette. Then four innings later, Juan Soto hit a titanic blast into the upper reaches of the second deck at Minute Maid Park, and he also carried his bat to first base. Soto said he thought what Bregman did “looked really cool. I wanted to do it, too.”
While opinions about the showmanship were divided, both managers said they felt it was wrong, as well as many players. Bregman apologized to the Nationals players and again publicly for what he did. He also said of Soto’s copycat job, “I deserved it.” With that, the matter seemed to be settled.
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Even though there will be two stout starting pitchers, expect everyone to be available to help out on the mound — except for Verlander and Strasburg. Gerrit Cole pitched Sunday night, but he will undoubtedly come out of the bullpen if needed, and the same goes for Washington’s Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez. After all, these are the games that make baseball legends.
— David Waldstein
"Time" - Google News
October 31, 2019 at 08:20AM
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Greinke Powering Astros in Game 7: Live Score and Updates - The New York Times
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