Cnotes MLB 2019 Thru the World Series News, Notes, Trends Best Bets and Opinions !

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAS at HOU 08:07 PM

WAS +155*****

O 7.0*****

[StarDust Bum]

Strasburg stars as Nats rout Astros 12-3 for 2-0 Series lead
October 23, 2019

HOUSTON (AP) Stephen Strasburg's time had come.

Famously held out of the postseason seven years ago, Strasburg delivered on the biggest stage of all Wednesday night.

The right-hander outdueled fellow ace Justin Verlander, overcoming a shaky start to give the Washington Nationals a 12-3 win over the Houston Astros and a commanding 2-0 lead in the World Series.

Kurt Suzuki hit a tiebreaking homer in what became a messy six-run seventh inning, and the Nationals headed back home to Washington for three games - if needed.

Adam Eaton paraded around the bases pointing to the Houston crowd after a late home run as the Nationals won their eighth in a row. They've won 18 of 20 overall dating back to the regular season, with the last two over AL Cy Young Award favorites Gerrit Cole and Verlander.

Game 3 is Friday night when Anibal Sanchez opposes Houston's Zack Greinke in the first World Series game in the nation's capital since 1933.

The 31-year-old Strasburg had waited years for this chance. Back in 2012, he was about two years removed from Tommy John surgery when Nationals brass decided protecting his elbow was more important than pitching him in the playoffs, so he was shut down late in a season full of promise.

Making his Series debut, Strasburg allowed a two-run homer to Alex Bregman in the first before throwing five shutout innings to improve 4-0 this postseason. He allowed seven hits and struck out seven.

Verlander, so good in the regular season, fell to 0-5 in six World Series starts. He gave up seven hits and four runs, and was lifted after walking a batter following Suzuki's home run.

Verlander led the majors with 21 wins this season and struck out a career-high 300 to reach 3,000 in his career. He has a World Series ring, MVP and Cy Award trophies, and three no-hitters on his resume.

He struck out six to become the career leader in postseason Ks with 202 - another impressive statistic on a stellar resume that is still missing that elusive World Series win.

Their dominance against Houston's best pitchers turned the underdog Nationals into heavy favorites to win the title. Only three of the previous 25 teams to lose the first two games at home under the 2-3-2 format have come back to win the Series. No one has done it since the 1996 New York Yankees.

Things went wrong immediately for Verlander when he walked leadoff man Trea Turner on four pitches. Eaton, who homered in the eighth, singled before Anthony Rendon, the Houston native who said he'd certainly have 100 friends and family members at Minute Maid Park for each game, knocked a ball off the wall in left field for a double that put the Nationals up 2-0.

Michael Brantley singled with two outs in the bottom of the first before Bregman's homer to left tied it. After hitting .167 with no homers in the ALCS and struggling in the opener of this series, Bregman took a second to admire his homer before nonchalantly tossing his bat and trotting to first.

All eight of Bregman's postseason home runs have come off All-Stars.

Verlander got his 200th postseason strikeout when he fanned Victor Robles for the second out in the second inning. The eight-time All-Star passed John Smoltz, who had 199 and was in the TV booth for Fox to see his record fall.

Verlander and Strasburg both settled in after their early wobbles and neither pitcher allowed the hitters to string much together until things fell apart for Houston in the seventh.

Suzuki sent Verlander's 100th pitch sailing above the seats in left field to start the inning and put the Nationals on top. Ryan Pressly, who left Game 6 of the ALCS with a knee injury, took over and didn't look right from the start.

He walked Turner before manager AJ Hinch called for his first intentional walk of the season when he gave Juan Soto a free pass to load the bases with two outs. Howie Kendrick, Asdrubal Cabrera and Ryan Zimmerman followed with successive singles to bust this one open, putting the Nationals up 8-2. As those hits were piling up and run after run crossed the plate, many in the stunned sellout crowd of 43,357 began streaming for the exits.

Michael A. Taylor padded the lead further when he hit a solo shot off Chris Devenski in the ninth.

The only time Strasburg was under any kind of real duress after the first inning came when Yuli Gurriel doubled with one out in the sixth before the Nationals intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez. But slumping Carlos Correa hit a weak fly ball for an out before rookie pinch-hitter Kyle Tucker struck out to allow Strasburg to wriggle out of the jam and end his solid night.

While the game was still close, Verlander made a play guaranteed to put him on the World Series blooper reel. It came in the fourth inning when he spun to the ground and skidded on his back to snag a soft tapper from Zimmerman on the third base side. The grab was fine, but his worst throw of the night came next when he bounced it off his left shin. He got to his feet to reveal grass stains on the back his jersey and on his hip, shook his head and chuckled at his errant toss.

UP NEXT

Sanchez returns after two sharp starts this postseason, capped by taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning in Game 1 of the NLCS against St. Louis.

Greinke, a trade-deadline pickup, hasn't been nearly has strong this postseason and is 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA in three October starts. A bonus of playing in an NL park is that Greinke will get to hit, something he enjoys - and is pretty good at. He's a career .225 hitter with nine homers, including a career-high three this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Late call: Springer phones Hinch, rehashes baserunning play
October 23, 2019
By The Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) Before going to sleep, George Springer wanted to put to bed what happened on the bases.

So the Astros star phoned manager AJ Hinch well after a 5-4 loss to Washington on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the World Series to rehash what went wrong.

''He called me. He initiated the conversation,'' Hinch said Wednesday before Game 2. ''We followed up today with a personal meeting and walked through the different scenarios.''

The play in question occurred in the eighth inning with Houston trailing 5-3. With Kyle Tucker on second base and one out, Springer had a deep drive to right-center field.

Springer - who earlier had homered in a record fifth straight World Series game - took about a half-dozen hops out of the batter's box while watching the ball sail, possibly for a tying home run. Instead, it hit off the glove of leaping right fielder Adam Eaton, and Springer ended up with an RBI double.

Known for his hustle and aggressive play, Springer didn't begin running hard until getting to first base. There was speculation he could've gotten a triple if he'd broken fast from the box - that became magnified when Jose Altuve followed with a flyball that might have been long enough for a sacrifice fly.

''He just wanted to talk about the play,'' Hinch said. ''It wasn't a malicious play where he was disrespecting the game. He wasn't disrespecting his teammates.

''I think George got caught up in the moment of the play, in the anxiousness to see if the ball was leaving. It wasn't an egregious showmanship kind of pimp job, as they call it. It was a delay in reading the play correctly,'' he said.

The ball caromed off Eaton's glove, hit the wall and rolled toward center field, where Victor Robles retrieved it and threw it in.

Tucker had gone back to second base to tag up, in case the ball was caught. Once it dropped, he scored easily.

Springer said he was watching Eaton the whole way.

''That's one of those things where I don't want to necessarily run as fast as I can, because for some reason, if (Tucker) tags or whatever the case and I run by him, it's not good. So I was just kind of watching the outfielder,'' he said after the game.

Springer also said he wouldn't have made it to third base.

''I can't go to third right there because the guy on second had gone back to tag,'' he said. ''If I had gone to third, I'm out.''

Hinch called it ''an honest mistake.'' He said he felt no need to tear into Springer on their late-night call and that ''was important for me so he could sleep at night.''

''All in all, I've been around George, I know how hard he plays. I know he leaves it all out on the field,'' he said. ''I'm not sure if the play ends any differently, but everybody understands the look when it's a late entry into a play like that.''

[StarDust Bum]

Astros' Verlander 1st pitcher to go 0-5 in World Series
October 24, 2019
By The Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) All of Justin Verlander's illustrious accomplishments mean little right now.

Not those 225 wins, not the 3,006 regular season strikeouts, not the record 202 postseason Ks. Not the eight All-Star selections, not the 2011 Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player prize.

Verlander dropped to 0-5 in World Series games Wednesday night as the Washington Nationals pounded the Houston Astros 12-3 for a 2-0 series lead. That skid on baseball's biggest stage is dragging the right-hander's reputation down like ballast sinking a ship to the bottom of the sea.

Never before has a pitcher lost his first five World Series decisions.

He wound up flat on his back in the fourth inning, slipping on Ryan Zimmerman's grounder and firing the ball off his own left foot. Verlander could smile about that one, an instant blooper reel staple.

But he was razed along with all the Astros in the seventh, and that was no laughing matter.

Verlander gave up a go-ahead home run to Kurt Suzuki , who had not driven in a run in this postseason, the start of a spirit-crushing six-run inning that lifted Washington.

And the big home run off a fastball at the letters came on Verlander's second pitch to catcher Martin Maldonado, who had not been behind the plate for Verlander since last year. Prior to Suzuki's at-bat, every pitch by Verlander this season had been delivered to Robinson Chirinos, who left when manager AJ Hinch replaced him with pinch-hitter Kyle Tucker, who struck out with two on for the final out of the sixth.

A likely Hall of Famer with a supermodel wife, the 36-year-old Verlander has a 5.73 ERA in six World Series starts.

He had a chance to close out the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series two years ago but wasted a sixth-inning lead in a 3-1 loss. The Astros rebounded the next night for their first title.

Then, in this month of frustration, he had a chance to close out the AL Division Series against Tampa Bay in Game 4 on short rest, but he gave up three runs in the first inning of a 4-1 loss.

He had a chance to finish out the AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees in Game 5 but allowed four runs in the first inning of another 4-1 defeat.

Verlander was 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA during the regular season, leading the major leagues in wins for the third time, throwing his third no-hitter and forming a dynamic duo with Gerrit Cole. In the World Series, they've hardly been so formidable. Cole allowed five runs in a 5-4 loss to open the Series.

Verlander is just 1-3 with a 4.15 ERA in five October starts, winless in four since the Division Series opener.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 25, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:07 PM Houston Astros Washington Nationals Nationals Park

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 26, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:07 PM Houston Astros Washington Nationals Nationals Park

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 27, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:07 PM Houston Astros Washington Nationals Nationals Park


**********************


2019 WORLD SERIES BEST BETS AND OPINIONS:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


10/23/2019...........2-0-0..........100.00%..........+12.75
10/22/2019.......... 2-0-0..........100.00%..........+13.50

TOTALS................ 4-0-0.......... 100.00%........ +26.25


BEST BETS


DATE..........................ATS...............UN ITS..............O/U...............UNITS..............TOTALS

10/23/2019................1 - 0..............+7.75..............1 - 0..............+5.00..............+12.75
10/22/2019................1 - 0..............+8.50..............1 - 0..............+5.00..............+13.50

TOTALS......................2 - 0..............+16.25............2 - 0..............+10.00.............+26.25

[StarDust Bum]

World Series Game 3
by: Matt Blunt

Houston Astros at Washington Nationals
(FOX, 8:07 p.m. ET)

The 2019 World Series has been full of surprises across the board through two games, as the great pitching matchups everyone expected to see has resulted in 24 total runs being scored in 18 innings of play. It's been the heavily underdogged Washington Nationals who came out on the right end of both of those results, now heading home to the nation's capital for three games and a chance to clinch the organization's first ever World Series crown.

Admittedly, I'm on the wrong side of this 2-0 series lead, as most of my pre-series bets look like nothing more then good fire-starting kindle at this point. But the Astros are far from dead though, as this team still heads to Washington with a 49-37 SU record away from home this year, and most of this core was there when the Astros won Game 7 on the road of the 2017 World Series. We haven't quite reached that true “must-win” stage yet with Houston, but going down 0-3 with two more games still to go in Washington will have Houston's backs pinned against the wall and struggling to kick out.

This is why Houston went out and got a form of insurance in bringing Zack Greinke to the team, and the Astros are hoping that a guy who's spent plenty of time in National League parks in recent years will help them get back on track in this World Series with a win in a NL park. Even down 0-2 in the series, Houston still comes into Game 3 as the 'chalk', and Greinke on the hill has a lot to do with it.

So will Greinke be the guy that helps get this thing turned around, or will the underdog Nationals continue to cash and grab a stranglehold on this World Series?

Game 3 MLB Betting Odds

Houston (-125) vs Washington (+115); Total set at 8

I'll begin with discussing the side here as it really is one that probably deserves to be held off on for the most part. There are just too many narratives and scenarios that bleed into the handicapping process here to really have a true handicap of the game. I mean, you can say stuff like “Houston isn't going to lose three in a row,” or “How is Washington still an underdog now that they are at home.”

Eventually, if you are betting this side, you'll use one of those types of narratives as support for your selection, and it's as simple as that. That's not something I prefer to get into all that often, and if that's what you're looking for I'm sure you'll find plenty of it over the next 48 hours from mainstream media outlets and others out there in this industry.

Instead, I'm looking at this total, and in a series that's been full of surprises in terms of results on both the side and total, I do believe we see that pattern hold true again for Game 3.

Early action on this total for Game 3 has seen nothing but 'over' action really, as the number opened up at 7 for a short while before getting to 7.5 with plenty of juice, and now flat 8's are popping up. That's such a reactionary move based on how the first two games have gone, and the more you are reactive and not proactive in your handicapping, chances are you'll be left paying the oddsmaker more times then not.

There is no argument from me that a pitching matchup of Greinke vs Anibal Sanchez looks much worse on paper than what we saw for Games 1 and 2, and simple reasoning would suggest that if the first two games easily cashed 'over' tickets, Game 3 has to as well right? The Nats have gotten offensive contributions from everyone in their lineup through the first 18 innings, and Houston's bats aren't exactly chopped liver either right. Yet, the key word I mentioned there is “simple” and you've always got to do as much digging as possible to find long-term success with your handicapping methods.

For one, the venue change brings a couple of significant changes. Obviously the biggest one is that there is no DH for either side here, and the “automatic” out that comes with the pitcher's spot batting for the first 5+ innings isn't exactly conducive to 'over' plays. Yes, I know Greinke is actually one of the better hitting pitchers in the game, and the use of “automatic” may be a little harsh, but the point remains the same. But that's just the first layer of the iceberg, as NL parks have not been kind to 'over' plays all year long when the Astros have been involved.

During the regular season, Houston went 2- 8 O/U as visitors in a National League park, averaging just 7.7 total runs scored per game. Yes, that average run number might be a little too close for some to pull the trigger on the 'under', but it includes a two-game set at Coors Field where one of the games finished with 17 total runs. You take out both of those Coors Field appearances (the other game finished with 6 total runs), and that average runs scored number drops to 6.75 runs per game which looks a whole lot better. Let's remember too, all of those games came in much more favorable conditions for baseball back in the summer, not being outdoors in Washington in cold, late-October evening weather.

And while the Astros did have Cole or Verlander pitching in a few of those NL ballpark games – which would help support an 'under' result – is Greinke really a huge step back in terms of talent level from those guys? I wouldn't say so as his career resume stacks up quite well with both of them, and I do expect him to be at or near his best for this critical game from Houston's perspective.

Furthermore, it was back in mid-June that Greinke – then a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks – came into Nationals Park and blanked Washington in a 5-0 win that saw him finish with a stat line of 7.1 IP and just two hits allowed on 75 pitches. His last seven career starts against the Nats – going back to 2013 – have all cashed 'under' tickets, and four of them have come at this ballpark specifically. Not one of those games finished with more than 5 total runs scored, and Greinke's teams came away with three shutout victories in his most recent four starts against Washington. Sometimes guys just like the way a particular mound or stadium looks and feels, and history suggests that may be the case with Greinke in, and against Washington.

Now, Anibal Sanchez on the other side does bring a few more concerns in terms of backing the 'under', as he's not always the most consistent guy out there, but his start in the NLCS was something special and hopefully he can recapture most of that performance a few weeks later here.

Houston's bats are nowhere near warm from a full lineup perspective in the playoffs right now, and given their lack of run production visiting NL ballparks this year – 3.625 runs scored per game at NL parks not named Coors Field – I'm not sure how you can rely on them to be successful in carrying their own weight in terms of an 'over' play.

The pitching duel that everyone expected in Game 1, and a little less so in Game 2, ends up showing up in Game 3 when the majority of the market has moved on from that line of thought. Colder, outdoor baseball with no DH already lends itself that way, and the more this total climbs, the more units I'll have on the low side of this number.

Best Bet: Under 8

[StarDust Bum]

905HOUSTON -906 WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON is 79-44 SU (34 Units) vs. good defensive catchers - allowing 0.5 or less SB's/game in the current season.


MLB
Dunkel

Friday, October 25


Houston @ Washington

Game 905-906
October 25, 2019 @ 8:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(Greinke) 16.041
Washington
(Sanchez) 19.608
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 3 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-125
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+105); Under



MLB
Long Sheet

Friday, October 25

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON (114 - 61) at WASHINGTON (103 - 71) - 8:07 PM
ZACK GREINKE (R) vs. PAT CORBIN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 47-37 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 33-27 (-9.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 17-19 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
HOUSTON is 95-77 (-22.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 51-44 (-19.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
GREINKE is 35-41 (-21.3 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -175 since 1997. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 103-71 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 10-2 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in October games this season.
WASHINGTON is 10-2 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in playoff games this season.
WASHINGTON is 57-46 (+9.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 35-22 (+15.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
HOUSTON is 74-33 (+25.1 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -175 over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 21-4 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 43-14 (+22.7 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
GREINKE is 22-7 (+13.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 22-28 (-15.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 100-85 (-17.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 2-0 (+3.4 Units) against HOUSTON this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

ZACK GREINKE vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
GREINKE is 6-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 1.27 and a WHIP of 0.830.
His team's record is 7-2 (+4.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-8. (-7.5 units)

PAT CORBIN vs. HOUSTON since 1997
CORBIN is 2-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 5.21 and a WHIP of 1.263.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+0.8 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MLB

Friday, October 25

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Washington Nationals
Washington is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Washington is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games at home
Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Washington is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing Houston
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games when playing at home against Houston

Houston Astros
Houston is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games
Houston is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games on the road
Houston is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Houston's last 18 games on the road
Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Houston is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games when playing Washington
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games when playing on the road against Washington

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

HOU at WAS 08:07 PM

WAS +120 *****

U 8.0 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Brantley's big hits help Astros win Game 3 of World Series
October 26, 2019
By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) Michael Brantley is healthy at the most important time and not letting that go to waste.

After waiting so long to play on this stage, the veteran outfielder whose career has been interrupted by a laundry list of injuries cashed in on his most important chances in Game 3 of the World Series on Friday night. Brantley hit two run-scoring singles and was a big part of the Houston Astros reversing their dreadful trend with runners in scoring position to beat the Washington Nationals 4-1 and cut their series deficit to 2-1.

Given his team's struggles at the plate, manager AJ Hinch could have put hot-hitting rookie Yordan Alvarez in left field hoping for a big hit or two. He stuck with the sure-handed Brantley, who remained steady as ever.

Brantley singled off starter Anibal Sanchez in the third and fifth innings and was intentionally walked in the sixth so he couldn't do more damage. He's 5 for 12 in the World Series, which is becoming a showcase of the 32-year-old as a professional hitter.

He blooped an 0-2 pitch from Sanchez into left field for Houston's first run of the night and perfectly timed a 3-1 changeup to lace a single to right and restore a two-run lead.

Houston entered the game hitting .175 this postseason with runners in scoring position. Brantley led the way as the club went 4 for 10 in those key spots Friday.

Brantley has seen this spotlight up close, just not in uniform. A right shoulder surgery sidelined him during the 2016 World Series, when his Cleveland Indians teammates lost to the Chicago Cubs in seven games.

He was used to sitting out by then, of course. A right wrist injury and hand surgery ended his 2011 season, sports hernia surgery was his reward for getting through 2012, right shoulder surgeries spoiled 2015 and 2016, and a right ankle strain hampered him in 2017.

None of that stopped Brantley's progression, and he has been an All-Star three years in a row. He got his groove back hitting .309 with 17 home runs and 76 RBIs last season, his final with Cleveland before signing a $32 million, two-year deal to join the Astros.

Brantley was even better this season with 22 home runs and 90 RBIs. This is the first playoffs he's been able to get past the first round, and thanks to a couple of timely hits, Brantley guaranteed the Astros will play at least two more games in this World Series.

[StarDust Bum]

2019 world series best bets and opinions:

Date w-l-t % units record

10/25/2019...........1-1-0...........50.00%...........+0.00
10/23/2019...........2-0-0..........100.00%..........+12.75
10/22/2019.......... 2-0-0..........100.00%..........+13.50

totals................ 4-0-0.......... 100.00%........ +26.25


best bets


date..........................ats...............un its..............o/u...............units..............totals

10/25/2019................0 - 1..............-5.00...............1 - 0..............+5.00..............+0.00
10/23/2019................1 - 0..............+7.75..............1 - 0..............+5.00..............+12.75
10/22/2019................1 - 0..............+8.50..............1 - 0..............+5.00..............+13.50

totals......................2 - 1..............+11.25............3 - 0..............+15.00.............+26.25

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

HOU at WAS 08:07 PM

WAS -112

O 8.5 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Corbin 1 of many problems for Nats as Series lead vanishes
October 27, 2019
By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) Patrick Corbin didn't immediately turn and watch the homer he served up to Houston's Robinson Chirinos in Game 4 of the World Series.

Instead, before eventually spinning around and tugging at the red brim of his cap, the Nationals lefty kept staring straight ahead toward home plate, where his changeup found the middle of the strike zone, as if a batting practice toss for the Astros catcher.

This was not what Washington wanted, nor expected, when it handed over $140 million over six years last offseason to add Corbin to a staff that already featured All-Stars Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. And this wasn't what the Nationals needed, either: A second consecutive home loss to the Astros, this one by an 8-1 score Saturday night, to leave the Fall Classic tied at two games apiece.

No, this flop was not entirely Corbin's fault, even if he did leave while trailing 4-0. Yes, Washington reliever Fernando Rodney gave up Alex Bregman's grand slam in the seventh as part of the sort of bullpen meltdown that happened over and over early this season.

And, don't forget, the Nationals' bats stayed silent for the second straight game: They have scored a total of two runs over the past 18 innings.

Still, while Corbin and his sweeping slider did what they were supposed to during the regular season - 14-7, 3.25 ERA, 238 strikeouts, 202 innings - it's this time of year that really matters the most, and he has not produced as promised in his first October in the majors.

''These are games I want to pitch in. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to go out there and help us win a ball game,'' Corbin said Friday, looking ahead to Game 4. ''This is what you prepare for all offseason, to pitch in these games and just to have the opportunity to go out there, give it my best.''

This outing - four runs, seven hits, two walks over six innings - dropped Corbin's postseason record to 1-3 in seven appearances, three as a starter, four as a reliever. Get this: He's been so mediocre, that Saturday's so-so showing actually lowered his ERA to 6.64.

Things were tough for him right from the get-go, with Houston getting four singles in a row in the first inning as a group of Astros fans in the upper deck beyond right field waved their orange towels and chanted for the visitors.

Jose Altuve reached base for the 24th postseason game. Michael Brantley got the first of his three hits. Bregman and Yuli Gurriel delivered RBIs. A double-play eventually extricated Corbin from that mess, but more problems arose in the fourth.

That's when he gave Carlos Correa a leadoff walk before missing the mark on a 1-0 pitch to Chirinos, who sent it out to left in a hurry.

No one was yet warming up in the home bullpen. This was Corbin's game to win or lose. It didn't turn out how Washington hoped.

[StarDust Bum]

Chirinos an unlikely slugger for Astros
October 27, 2019
By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) Astros manager AJ Hinch had so little faith in Robinson Chirinos' bat that he pinch hit for the catcher in a big spot earlier in the World Series.

Seems unlikely he'd do it again.

Chirinos has homered in consecutive games, emerging as a most unlikely slugger for Houston when the team needed it most. A night after cracking a solo shot off the left field foul pole, Chirinos crushed a two-run drive to the seats nearby Saturday as the Astros beat the Washington Nationals 8-1 to tie the World Series at 2. Game 5 is Sunday.

Chirinos hit 17 home runs this season but showed no pop in the AL Championship Series. He went 0 for 15 in six games against the New York Yankees, and it wasn't much of a surprise when Hinch pulled him for Kyle Tucker with two on and two outs in the sixth inning of World Series Game 2.

Tucker struck out, backup catcher Martin Maldonado oversaw Houston's seventh-inning meltdown, and the team flew to Washington trailing 2-0. Chirinos said players talked on the flight about keeping it simple and not trying to do too much.

''No swings for the fence,'' Chirinos said.

Maybe he wasn't trying to go deep, but Chirinos hit Houston's only home run in a 4-1 Game 3 victory Friday and got to celebrate it with his son , David. He told his dad, ''Nice job, good swing,'' and Hinch got the feeling Chirinos was starting to break out.

The 35-year-old showed it with a two-run blast off starter Patrick Corbin in the fourth inning of Game 4 that stunned a sellout crowd of almost 44,000. That made it 4-0, which was plenty of offense to support starter Jose Urquidy's five scoreless innings before Hinch went to the bullpen. Alex Bregman broke it open with a grand slam in the seventh.

Chirinos appeared to tweak something during his at-bat in the ninth but stayed in the game and doubled off reliever Javy Guerra.

Calling pitches in the World Series is a demanding gig - Chirinos estimates he has spent at least eight hours just watching film of Nationals hitters this week - but he's finding time to fine-tune his sweet swing, too. After joining the Astros on a $5.75 million, one-year contract to play for a championship contender in the twilight of his career, Chirinos has been working with hitting coach Alex Cintron to hone aspects of his approach and mechanics.

The result was Houston becoming the second team and first since 1962 to have two different catchers - Chirinos and Maldonado - hit a home run in the World Series, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

[StarDust Bum]

2019 world series best bets and opinions:

Date w-l-t % units record

10/26/2019...........1-1-0...........50.00%...........-0.60
10/25/2019...........1-1-0...........50.00%...........+0.00
10/23/2019...........2-0-0..........100.00%..........+12.75
10/22/2019.......... 2-0-0..........100.00%..........+13.50

totals.................. 6-2-0.......... 75.00%.......... +25.65


best bets


date..........................ats...............un its..............o/u...............units..............totals


10/26/2019................0 - 0..............+0.00..............1 - 0..............+5.00..............+5.00
10/25/2019................0 - 1..............-5.00...............1 - 0..............+5.00..............+0.00
10/23/2019................1 - 0..............+7.75..............1 - 0..............+5.00..............+12.75
10/22/2019................1 - 0..............+8.50..............1 - 0..............+5.00..............+13.50

totals........................2 - 1..............+11.25.............4 - 0..............+20.00.............+31.25

[StarDust Bum]

Scherzer, Cole face off again in Game 5
October 26, 2019
By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) Max Scherzer is a three-time Cy Young Award winner, Gerrit Cole is a top contender for this season's AL honor, and their vaunted right arms could be responsible for whether Washington or Houston takes control of the World Series.

The Fall Classic heads into Sunday's pivotal Game 5 all even at two games apiece after the Astros beat the Nationals 8-1 on Saturday night for their second victory in a row in Washington. It's the fifth time the road team has won each of the first four World Series games.

The next starting pitching matchup is a rematch of Game 1 in Houston, grabbed by Washington 5-4 as Scherzer earned the win and Cole took the loss.

Which means Cole heads into this outing in an unfamiliar position.

''The focus on the pitches just continues to just raise across the board,'' Cole said. ''And so you have to deal with that. You have to respond to that.''

He had not taken an ''L'' since May, going 19-0 over his previous 25 starts.

This is a guy who led the majors in strikeouts and was second in wins during the regular season, going 20-5 with 326 Ks and a 2.50 ERA, and is expected to land a deal worth perhaps $200 million as a free agent.

On Sunday, he will face a Nationals offense that is slumping, with a grand total of two runs over the past two nights.

The way Cole described what happened in Game 1, when he allowed five runs in seven innings?

''I didn't have my A-game,'' Cole said then.

Scherzer navigated his way in and out of trouble that night, giving up two runs in five innings.

''After the first game, he already sat down and kind of mapped out his game plan for his next game,'' Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. ''So as you know: Max, he's all in. He's got a plan.''

One key to getting through that outing, Scherzer said, was not giving in to the Astros' batters, and staying away from the strike zone as much as possible.

The 35-year-old right-hander was asked Saturday whether he might need to throw over the plate more this time around.

''The game will dictate that. The scoreboard will dictate that. You've got to just get into the flow of the game, and understand where everything's at, where you're at in the lineup, who's up, score of the game, inning, pitch count. You name it,'' he responded.

''That all just goes into the same thing,'' Scherzer said. ''You just have to have your instincts out there and work with the catcher and just figure out what you want to do.''

He had lost four consecutive postseason decisions coming into this year, dating to 2013 with the Detroit Tigers.

So far in 2019, the Nationals are 4-0 in his appearances, including three as a starter and one out of the bullpen. Scherzer has shown no ill effects from the upper back problem that put him on the injured list for about a month during the season.

Now, he noted, he's fine.

''All those back issues, I have to really address in the offseason. ... How I'm going to train and everything,'' Scherzer said. ''So I've been dreaming up different things I might be doing this December and January to really address that.''

That will all need to wait.

For the moment, his focus is on Game 5, and turning the World Series back in Washington's favor.