TheHouston Astros host theWashington Nationals for the deciding World Series Game 7 at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday. The Nationals thanks to yet another strong start fromStephen Strasburgand a trio of home runs beat the Astros on Tuesday night to force a Game 7. Thus far in the 2019 World Series, the road team has won every game.
Now, let’s set the scene with some Game 7 essentials.
How can I watch Game 7?
When: Wednesday, Oct. 30 | Time: 8: 08 p.m. ET
Venue: Minute Maid Park (Houston, Texas)
TV: Fox | Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
What do I need to know about the pitching matchup?
It’s a compelling one. AceMax Scherzergoes for the visiting Nats opposite Houston’sZack Greinke. This occasions the first time ever two former Cy Young winners will start a Game 7 of the World Series.
Scherzer, 35, in the regular season pitched to a 2.92 ERA/157ERAwith anMLB-leading K/BB ratio of 7.36 in 27 starts. This postseason, he boasts an ERA of 2.16 across four starts and one relief appearance. In Game 1 against the Astros, Scherzer wasn’t quite himself, as he allowed two runs and eight baserunners in just five innings of work. Scherzer will be coming on seven days of rest, but the the big story is whether he’s fully recovered from the neck spasms that caused him to be scratched from his scheduled start in Game 5.
As for the 36-year-old Greinke, during the regular season he put up a 154 ERA and 6.23 K/BB ratio in 33 starts for theDiamondbacksand Astros. During these playoffs, Greinke in four starts has an ERA of 5.30, and opposing hitters have a line of .289/.365/.566 against him. As well, he’s averaged less than five innings per start. Obviously, it’s all hands on deck for this final game of the 2019 season, and Houston manager A.J. Hinch will have a quick hook with Greinke should circumstances warrant.
What about the starting lineups?
Here are the Game 7 starting lineups. CatcherKurt Suzukiwas a late scratch for the Nationals, while the Astros rolled out their usual starting nine.
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
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
Are there any injuries of note?
As mentioned above,Scherzer prior to his scheduled start in Game 5 woke up with neck spasms, which forced the Nats to turn to emergency starterJoe Ross. Scherzer was cleared for a Game 7 start after throwing on Tuesday and he was spied in the bullpen in various points in Game 6. Scherzer is of course an ace of aces, but thanks to that neck he’s at least a bit of an unknown quantity going into Game 7. Nationals C Kurt Suzuki is also dealing with a hip flexor injury.
Give me one slugger on each team I should keep an eye on
Juan Soto (WAS): Soto, who just recently turned 21, is one of the best and most exciting young hitters in baseball. Across parts of two seasons in the majors, Soto has anOPSof 140, which is excellent production for any hitter, let alone one so young. He’s been similarly productive in the World Series, as he comes into the final game with a series slash line of .304/.407/.783. His absolute bomb offJustin Verlanderin Game 6 made him the youngest player ever to hit three or more home runs in the same World Series.
George Springer (HOU): Springer has already established himself as a Houston postseason legend, what with his playoff slash line of .276/.366/.573 and 15 home runs in 49 games. He’s been the Astros’ best hitter in this series, and it’s entirely possible that he’ll be named World Series MVP for the second time in the last three years should Houston prevail in Game 7.
What are the oddsmakers saying about Game 2?
- Odds: WAS 125 | HOU -135 | O/U: 7.5
So who wins Game 7 of Nationals vs. Astros? And which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the money line you should be all over Tuesday, all from the advanced model that has crushed its MLB picks, and find out.
OK, give me your game predictions and picks
Our predictions and picks to win the World Series can be found here. For Game 7, look for Scherzer to be in something close to vintage form despite his recent injury concerns. Greinke, meantime, struggles early against the potent top half of the Washington lineup. Pick: Nationals ( 1.5)
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings