World Series Game 3: Houston Astros v Washington Nationals – live! – The Guardian, Theguardian.com

Here’s the report from tonight’s Game 3.

No, you’re not imagining things, that took a lot longer than it feels like it should have.

Tomorrow’s Game 4 (or later today Game 4 depending on one’s time zone ) could go even longer as theHouston Astroswill put together a bullpen game against the Washington Nationals’ Patrick Corbin. We’ll have live coverage of that game, and of every game of the 2019 World Series, here at the Guardian. Until then, thanks to everybody who followed along with today’s liveblog, especially those who contributed. Ciao! ************

Yep, that sounds like what cats do. It wasn’t to be, but even the most hardcore Nationals fan had to know it wouldn’t be that easy.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, FINAL

Juan Soto takes a ball and then a strike. 1-1. He offers at the next pitch. 1-2. The Nationals are down to their last strike. Oscuna’s next pitch is high and Soto doesn’t offer. Soto also doesn’t swing at the next pitch, but it’s right down the middle. The Astros have won Game 3 of the World Series!

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 9^th

Rendon swings at the first pitch that he sees and hits a foul pop out. That was not ideal and Washington is down their final out.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 9^th

Eaton hits one right in no man’s land between the outfielders. The Nationals have a runner on base with one out.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 9 (th)

Astros closer Roberto Osuna comes into the game to a chorus of boosfor obvious reasons. He falls behind Turner 3-1 before getting the benefit of a call on a ball just outside of the zone. The next pitch is fouled off. 3-2. Turner gets a lot of the next pitch, but not enough, it’s just a flyball to the outfield.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 9 (th)

Suero gets Gurriel to strike out looking and we’re heading into the bottom of the ninth. The Nationals need three runs to keep the game going and they have three outs to do it.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 9 (th)

Turner makes a fantastic jumping catch to rob Bregman for the second out of the inning.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 9 (th)

Wander Suero, who has the coolest name on either of the roster, is in to pitch the top of the ninth for the Nationals. Brantley is up to bat. Suero’s first pitch wanders out of the strikes zone. 1-0. Brantley swings and misses on the next pitch then fouls off the next before flying out to Soto.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 8 (th)

Gomes cannot. He grounds out to third to end the inning. We’re heading into the ninth inning.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 8 (th)

Robles gets called out looking. It’s up to catcher Yan Gomes, who is apparently on the Nationals roster, to see if he can do anything.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 8^th

Howie Kendrick pops up in the game for the Nationals and he manages to nail one of the submarining Smith’s offerings and poke it down the middle for a one-out single.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 8 (th)

Joe Smith will handle the bottom of the 8 (th) , because we’re into the generic name portion of each team’s bullpen. He gets ahead of Ryan Zimmerman 1-2 before getting him to swing at something that is in a completely different zip code of where anybody was expecting it.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 8 (th)

Springer hits a single off of Ross’s foot, this has been a very painful-looking game. Altuve’s next pitch is also right at Ross but it ends up becoming a groundball out.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 8 (th)

Ross, who is still pitching by the way, will now face a pinch-hitting Yordan Alvarez, who pops up to Turner for the second out.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 8 (th)

Chirinos grounds out to start the 8 (th) . Man, maybe these relievers should have started the game, maybe we’d have had a quicker start.

The most annoying thing in baseball? It’s got to be “let’s go Yankees” no question, no argument

One again, as I’m writing here from the Boston area, I will plead the fifth.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 7^th

Cabrera gets underneath a pitch and pops it to third. That was some very quick work from Harris and we’re heading into the eighth.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 7 (th)

Juan Soto takes a healthy cut and comes out empty. 0-1. Looks at a strike. 0-2. And then can’t check his swing. That’s a three pitch strikeout. ************

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 7 (th)

Will Harris come out for the bottom of the 7^th? Yes, yes Harris will. Rendon is up with his goal to get on no matter what. At this point, with three down and three innings remaining, the Nationals need baserunners badly. Rendon works yet another full count, the three millionth of the night, and then fouls the next one back. We remain at 3-2. He hits one long but it’s not long enough and Springer gets under it for the first out of the inning.

I normally post a version of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” here but spare me this one indulgence tonight.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 7th

Josh Reddick is up next and he at least makes Ross work, getting into a full count. There seems to be a lot of those in this game, hence the game time. On 3-2 he gets Reddick to fly out. Seventh Inning Stretch time!

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 7th

Ross gets Correa to pop up. He’s not wasting any time here.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 7th

Is this “Can You Get To That?” By Funkadelic coming out of the break? Okay this is now the greatestWorld Seriesbroadcast of all time. That was enough to motivate this blogger, I’ve gotten my second wind here. Let’s do this.

Our new pitcher Joe Ross gets Gurriel to ground out to start the inning.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 6th

Harris and the rest of the Astros think that they have Eaton struck out on an 0-2 pitch but the umpire calls “no swing.” It ends up not mattering as Eaton grounds out to the end the inning . We’re headed to the seventh… wait, only the seventh?

Miles to go, my friends.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 6th

Will Harris is in to pitch with two on and just one out. This feels like the Nationals ’best shot at getting back in the game. Turner just barely stays alive on a 2-2 count, fouling one right of himself. The trainers come in to see if he can keep in the game.

He heads back to the plate, even though it looks like that he got hurt in a very, very sensitive area. After gritting his way through all of that, his reward is striking out on a nasty breaking ball.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 6th

Matt Adams in in here for a pinch-hitting appearance. Matt Adams fall behind 0-2, but Robles does manage to get himself into scoring position with a straight steal. Adams takes two balls, the second of which is nearly a wild pitch. Adams fouls off the 2-2 pitch and then takes a pitch. Brad Peacock’s run another full count and, now, his second straight walk.

Guess what, we’re going to have a pitching change! (I warned you.)

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 6th

Robles is in next and he also works a full count against the deceptive Peacock before Robles gets on base after a checked-swing call goes his way.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, bottom 6th

And they are doing “Baby Shark” chants at Nationals Park as Gerardo Parra hits for a possibly hurt Kurt Suzuki. Is this really how the song goes? No wonder my friends with kids hate it with a passion. Brad Peacock is in to pitch for Josh James and he gets Parra to strike out on a 3-2 count.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 6th

The Nationals intentionally walk Brantley to get to Bregman who grounds out to end the inning. As often happens in Rodney appearances, there’s a lot of drama but somehow no runners score.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 6th

Now the trainers are out for Suzuki whose body has taken a pummeling in the series. There are runners on first and third with still just one out. Altuve takes a strike to start off his at-bat then fouls off the next pitch. He’s already down 0-2 but falling behind in the count doesn’t seem to be affecting the Houston hitters that much tonight.

Somehow, Rodney’s next pitch hits Altuve’s jersey but nobody says anything. Springer takes second on the “ball.” On the next pitch Altuve grounds out into a fielder’s choice. Tucker gets caught in a rundown but that allows the runners to get to second and third.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 6th

With a runner on third and just one out, Rodney has no choice but to concentrate on his hitter, who happens to be the dangerous George Springer who works a walk. Suzuki barely blocks the ball to keep Tucker from having a shot at coming home.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 6th

Fernando Rodney is pitching, so it’s seat-belt time. Right out the gate, Tucker steals second and then makes it to third after Suzuki’s throw goes into the outfield.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 6 (th)

Kyle Tucker is up, hitting in the pitcher’s spot and he works a full count off a possibly tiring Sanchez who is now at 92 pitches. The 93 (RD) pitch? That’s outside of the zone and that’s going to be Sanchez’s night. I hope you like pitching changes because we’re going to be getting plenty of them from here on out.

Astros 4-1 Nationals, top 6 (th)

There’s no catching that one! Chirinos hits a home run that stays on the friendly side of the foul pole. The Astros have a three-run lead!

Astros 3-1 Nationals, top 6 (th)

Reddick hits one into right field but Adam Eaton takes a dive and snowcones it for the first out of the inning.

Astros 3-1 Nationals, bottom 5 (th)

Zimmerman’s back up and seems to be unaffected by hitting the ground but James’s next pitch is even higher and couldn’t find the strike zone with a Geiger counter, as Tom Waits would say. Zimmerman just fouls off the next two pitches to keep the count at 2-2 with 2 out and 2 on. There’s a conference on the mound. Kind of a key spot, this. The next pitch is somewhere around his shoulders. On 3-2, Zimmerman swings and misses! The Astros escape! Onto the sixth inning!

Astros 3-1 Nationals, bottom 5 (th)

Josh James is out of the bullpen to face Ryan Zimmerman with runners on second and third. James’s first pitch starts up and out of the zone but hits the top part of the plate. 0-1. James’s next pitch just catches the plate. Absolutely filthy pitch that and the next one… almost hits Zimmerman’s head. Zimmerman goes down hard and the trainers are in to check to see if he’s okay.

Astros 3-1 Nationals, bottom 5 (th)

The inning’s down to Cabrera who gets ahead of Greinke 3-1. Just getting him out of the game sooner rather than latter would be a good idea for Washington. He’s been quite good tonight.

Well that might help the cause, Cabrera hits a booming double but Eaton has to hold at third thanks to a quality throw by Josh Reddick and that will indeed do it for Greinke.