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“Backs to the Wall”

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Game Six of the World Series is up next, and no one could have imagined any of this happening.

Did you think the Astros could lose two in a row at hitter happy Minute Maid Park and bat (.170) in the process in the opening tilts?

Shocked to find out the Nationals, red hot at home, would go home and lose 3-in a row to Houston to lose the 2-0 edge in the series?  That thanks to a (.175) team average over those three nights at Nationals Park.  Home-sweet-home, not so much.

Odd, the visiting team has won all five games so far.

You always knew Houston’s bats would come alive, for they have all season thru this 107-win campaign.  And did they ever in Washington, batting (.311) for those three road games, and bombing the Nationals 6-home runs to 1-in their own yard.

So Washington plays on Tuesday night with Stephen Strasburg asked to extend the season, and what better ace to run out there.  The former Aztecs has a career (1.34)-ERA in playoff games now .

Strasburg, this post season alone has been dominant, (4-0)…40-strikeouts in 28-innings and 3-homers allowed.  That’s a (2.26)-ERA facing a really great batting order.

The warrior that is Justin Verlander starts for the Nationals, trying to force a 7th game.  But his dominance on the mound has not been part of this fall’s postseason, a (1-3) record with a (4.20-ERA) with 6-HRs allowed in 35-innings of work.  But then again, he’s facing the best bats in baseball.

As dominant as Verlander has been, it is hard to believe, he carries a career record of (0-5) to the mound in World Series games.  That’s right (0-5), amazing considering he is (14-10) overall in post season.

They hit home runs at Minute Maid Park, and you have to expect the Astros will hit better the final two games than they did the first two games.

If this thing gets to a 7th game, who starts?  There is no Max Scherzer to trust in the Washington rotation, now with the neck spasm issue and the weekend cortisone shot.

Patrick Corbin, the other big money pitcher in the Washington rotation has been poor of late, with a (6.54-ERA).  You might have to trust him.

I don’t know about the trust level either of Houston’s potential Game 7-starter if we get there.  This has not been vintage Zack Greinke either in the Astros rotation.

Might we have a “bullpen day” if there is a winner-take all Game seven?  Wouldn’t that be absurd.

Circle back.  How about this.  A (1-0) pitchers gem tonite.  I picked the Astros to win in six, this is game six, so let’s have Houston win.

But how cool is this, two dominant aces, facing each other..  Washington has its backs to the wall.  Houston is trying to scale the wall and win this thing now.

Going to be fun.

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