![]() ![]() If the Nationals can take advantage of a weak bullpen, they could possibly succeed in those close games, even without home field advantage. Therefore, the Nats would have to strike against the Astros bullpen, which has been inconsistent the last three postseasons.īesides closer Roberto Osuna, there is nobody I trust to be definitively good in their roles. If they face the Astros, they would likely have to rely on pitching because odds are they aren’t going to score early against guys like Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, who has been the best pitcher statistically in the postseason, only allowing one run in three postseason starts, to go along with 32 strikeouts. They did it in some instances against the Cardinals, too, but it was more the historically good starting pitching that won the series. The Nationals did it against the Dodgers, especially in Game 5. So, what it could come down to in a lower-scoring, close-game type series would be late-game hitting. If the Nationals were to face the Astros, it seems like superstar starting pitching on each team would cancel each other out. Here are keys to how the Nationals can pull off an upset against either the Astros or the Yankees. However, having less talent than their opponent hasn’t stopped them before, as they proved against the Dodgers. Still, one more hurdle remains: the World Series, and they will be facing an American League juggernaut either way in the Astros or the Yankees. Their pitching has been superb in the postseason, they’ve experienced better lineup depth and have been hitting better in the clutch than in previous years. The Washington Nationals proved a lot of people wrong by winning the National League pennant the year after losing superstar outfielder Bryce Harper.
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