The forgeone conclusion is now official: The Washington Nationals will hand the ball to Max Scherzer for Game 1 of the World Series.
Game 1 of the 2019 #WorldSeries falls on a #Scherzday.#STAYINTHEFIGHT pic.twitter.com/fYScCoEZqG
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) October 21, 2019
Scherzer will start opposite the Houston Astros’ Gerrit Cole. Then Washington will start Stephen Strasburg in Game 2 against Houston’s Justin Verlander.
Scherzer has made four appearances this postseason: three starts and one relief inning in Game 2 against the Dodgers in which he struck out the side.
He started the NL Wild Card game and allowed a pair of home runs against the Brewers, but the Nationals were able to come back and win. In his next two starts, one against the Dodgers in the NLDS and one against the Cardinals in the NLCS, he went seven innings each night, allowed a total of one run and struck out 18.
Cole, meanwhile, is on one of the hottest streaks a pitcher has had in recent memory: In his last 25 starts, counting postseason and regular season, Cole has gone 19-0 with a 1.59 ERA, 258 strikeouts and just 39 walks.
In the postseason alone, Cole has only given up one run and racked up 32 strikeouts. So the Nationals will need the best performance they can muster at the plate to have a chance to win Game 1.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.