Now this is a serious World Series throw-down. <\/p>\n
Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke vs. Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin \u2014 all of them All-Star starters, still pitching at their peak. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a mound meeting that every fan can enjoy, the Houston Astros against the Washington Nationals. <\/p>\n
Capital hill, indeed. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got the best pitcher in the world going. And then after that, we\u2019ve got the best pitcher in the world going, too. And then after that, we\u2019ve got the best pitcher in the world going, too,\u201d Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a lot of fun.\u201d <\/p>\n
Bregman and fellow MVP candidate Anthony Rendon certainly did their parts to make this the Year of the Home Run. And Jose Altuve lit up Minute Maid Park with his walk-off homer to beat the Yankees in the AL Championship Series. <\/p>\n
But the focus of this Fall Classic is right on the rotations. Houston opened as a 2-1 favorite at the Las Vegas sportsbooks. <\/p>\n
Cole is set to throw the first pitch on Tuesday night in Houston. He led the majors with 326 strikeouts, was second to Verlander in the big leagues with 20 wins and topped the AL with a 2.50 ERA. <\/p>\n
He also is 19-0 in his last 25 starts. That includes 3-0 in the playoffs so far, allowing one earned run in 22 2\/3 innings while fanning 32. <\/p>\n
Cole was acquired by the Astros a few months after they won the 2017 World Series. He has fit in fine with his Houston teammates and also has gotten acquainted with some of the Washington aces \u2014 the teams share the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches spring training complex in Florida. <\/p>\n
\u201cI know a few guys in their rotation, and I\u2019m personally excited that they\u2019re in this position, and I\u2019m just very excited to get in there,\u201d Cole said late Saturday night. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve worked their tails off. I know a lot of the guys on the team, and I know how they prepare,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to the challenge.\u201d <\/p>\n
Like when he faces Washington\u2019s big bopper. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnthony Rendon is one of the greatest hitters in the game right now,\u201d Cole said. \u201cThere\u2019s no real way to get him out. You just kind of hope that he misses some balls or he scorches them right at your guys, I guess. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been watching him since I was in college. It\u2019s very unique what he\u2019s been able to do and he\u2019s just a pleasure to watch play.\u201d <\/p>\n
The clubs saw each other back in February when they played in the exhibition opener, and Scherzer gave up a homer to the first batter of the game. <\/p>\n
Now, eight months later, they meet for real. The 107-win Astros trying to capture their second crown in three years, the wild-card Nationals making their Series debut. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe World Series comes through Houston. I like the sound of that. I think it should be that way for many years to come,\u201d Bregman said. <\/p>\n
No slight to Bregman and other big hitters here: Altuve, the ALCS MVP, postseason star George Springer and top shortstops Trea Turner and Carlos Correa. And not to overlook the young stars on this stage for the first time, rookies like Juan Soto and Yordan Alvarez. <\/p>\n
Yet in an era when teams search for new pitching strategies \u2014 witness the Astros\u2019 parade of relievers in Game 6 of the ALCS \u2014 the two clubs left figure to rely heavily on their starters. <\/p>\n
Fine by Houston manager AJ Hinch. <\/p>\n
\u201cPhilosophically, whether it\u2019s about the new-age opener or pulling guys third time through, most of the people that support that haven\u2019t had Verlander or Cole on their team,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
The Nationals stack up just fine, too. Consider their staff includes Anibal Sanchez, who took a playoff no-hit bid into the eighth inning. <\/p>\n
The Astros, who began as the National League expansion Colt .45s in 1962, led the majors in setting a franchise record for wins. Their playoff path was more of a struggle, beating wild-card Tampa Bay in the deciding Game 5 of the AL Division Series and then stopping the 103-win Yankees on Altuve\u2019s pennant-winning homer off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning. <\/p>\n
The Nationals, who started out as the Montreal Expos in 1969, took the reverse route. <\/p>\n
A season after letting slugger Bryce Harper leave as a free agent, the Nats were just 19-31 in May. The slow start prompted speculation that manager Dave Martinez would be fired and management would sell off stars at the trade deadline. <\/p>\n
Instead, the Nationals bounced back. They earned a playoff spot, eliminated the favored Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series and swept the surging St. Louis Cardinals behind NLCS MVP Howie Kendrick. <\/p>\n
For Washington, the city gets its first World Series since the Senators played in 1933. For the Nationals, the old October question: rest or rust? <\/p>\n
The Nationals will have a full week between games while the Astros get only two days off. A fact on this: Boston had two more days of rest last year and beat the Dodgers. But before that, the past nine champions were the clubs that had less rest. <\/p>\n
Martinez isn\u2019t worried. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese guys have played unbelievably. I think they needed a break. Some guys really needed a break,\u201d he said. \u201cHeal their bodies a little bit.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014 <\/p>\n
More AP MLB: https:\/\/apnews.com\/MLB and https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP\u2014Sports<\/p>\n