2019 MLB World Series: Game 7 Preview

Can you believe it? We are about to have what is toted as the best words in all of sports: Game 7. Somehow, the road team has won every single game during this World Series for the first time in the history of the sport. Will we see the unimaginable and have the road team win once again? The Washington Nationals hope to make history by doing just that tonight on the road against the Houston Astros.

Betting

I cannot comprehend how the road team has won each and every game this World Series. That has never happened before! Literally, the 1st time that has happened and the World Series started in 1903! With that being said, we should take the underdog Nationals (+112) on the road tonight right? Wrong. I’m sticking with the Astros (-132)! All hands will be on deck for this game, including the starting pitchers from last night so I expect a low-scoring start to the game. But, around the 5th or 6th inning things will kick up a notch, Pitchers will get tired, batters will figure out the pitches, and managers will be too hesitant to call the bullpen to replace their aces.

Projected Lineup

Houston Astros	Washington Nationals
Starting Pitcher: Zack Grienke	Starting Pitcher: Max Scherzer
1. George Springer	1. Trea Turner
2. Jose Altuve	2. Adam Eaton
3. Michael Brantley	3. Anthony Rendon
4. Alex Bregman	4. Juan Soto
5. Yulieski Gurriel	5. Howie Kendrick
6. Yordan Alvarez	6. Asdrubal Cabrera
7. Carlos Correa	7. Ryan Zimmerman
8. Robinson Chirinos	8. Yan Gomes
9. Josh Reddick	9. Victor Robles

The Astros will trot out their same lineup from last night while the Nationals have flipped their 8 and 9 hitters.

The World Series… so far!

Against all odds, the away team has won every game so far for the first time in World Series history. Of note, last night was the first game of the series in which the Astros scored less than 4 runs. Also, after scoring only 1 run in three straight games, the Nationals were able to plate 7 runners in Game 6. 

Game 7 Takes

Pay close attention to how Anthony Rendon performs against Grienke tonight. In his career, Rendon is 1-12 against the righty which simply will not do in a game of this magnitude. On the other side of the diamond, Michael Brantley is 15-44 with 9 RBI’s against Scherzer. These are the 3-hole hitters for the Nationals and Astros and there is clearly an advantage for the Astros. However, the hottest hitters in this series have been George Springer, Adam Eaton and the 21-year-old Juan Soto. I don’t see Springer hitting another homerun tonight, instead, I see Jose Altuve finally breaking out like the star he has been beforehand. 

Prediction

Nationals: 4

Astros: 5

Going Yard: Michael Brantley

Conclusion

Who will win the World Series tonight? Will we witness history and see the road team Nationals win? Or, will the Astros win for the 2nd time in 3 years? Let me know in the comments below! Also, check out the shop and other content by clicking here.

-Mitchell Seefeldt

• David B. King: Flickr, Blogspot [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons