{"id":1315928,"date":"2019-10-21T23:08:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-22T05:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/cole-astros-face-scherzer-nats-in-world-series-opener\/"},"modified":"2019-10-21T23:08:00","modified_gmt":"2019-10-22T05:08:00","slug":"cole-astros-face-scherzer-nats-in-world-series-opener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/cole-astros-face-scherzer-nats-in-world-series-opener\/","title":{"rendered":"Cole, Astros face Scherzer, Nats in World Series opener"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.8725490196078\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-989897-109\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole speaks during a news conference for baseball's World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole speaks during a news conference for baseball&#8217;s World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole speaks during a news conference for baseball's World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Houston Astros take batting practice for baseball's World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Matt Slocum)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Houston Astros take batting practice for baseball&#8217;s World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Matt Slocum)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-1.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Houston Astros take batting practice for baseball's World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Matt Slocum)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) delivers against the New York Yankees during the first inning of Game 3 of baseball's American League Championship Series, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo\/Frank Franklin II)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) delivers against the New York Yankees during the first inning of Game 3 of baseball&#8217;s American League Championship Series, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo\/Frank Franklin II)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-2.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) delivers against the New York Yankees during the first inning of Game 3 of baseball's American League Championship Series, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo\/Frank Franklin II)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer during the fourth inning of Game 2 of the baseball National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, in St. Louis. (AP Photo\/Mark Humphrey)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer during the fourth inning of Game 2 of the baseball National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, in St. Louis. (AP Photo\/Mark Humphrey)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-3.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer during the fourth inning of Game 2 of the baseball National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, in St. Louis. (AP Photo\/Mark Humphrey)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker prepares to take batting practice for baseball's World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Matt Slocum)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker prepares to take batting practice for baseball&#8217;s World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Matt Slocum)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-4.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker prepares to take batting practice for baseball's World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Matt Slocum)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-5.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve warms up during batting practice for baseball's World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Matt Slocum)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve warms up during batting practice for baseball&#8217;s World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Matt Slocum)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/World_Series_Nationals_Astros_Baseball_65145-cd295-5.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve warms up during batting practice for baseball's World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Matt Slocum)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/cole-astros-face-scherzer-nats-in-world-series-opener\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/cole-astros-face-scherzer-nats-in-world-series-opener\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">HOUSTON \u2014 Gerrit Cole rattles off the names of the pitching greats with ease, featuring the same command he shows with his vaunted four-seam fastball.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Bob Gibson. Tom Seaver. Don Drysdale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Plus the guys he saw in person as a kid \u2014 Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling \u2014 when they dominated in October.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Now in the midst of perhaps the most remarkable run in baseball history, it\u2019s his turn, starting Game 1 of the World Series.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe people you keep referring to,\u201d Cole said Monday, \u201cgot the job done. So I\u2019m trying to deliver on that front.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Because as we all know, heading into Tuesday night\u2019s opener between his Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals, this is when reputations are built \u2014 or wrecked.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Madison Bumgarner, Orel Hershiser and Pedro Martinez excelled in their first Series starts. So did Clayton Kershaw, although his ledger is more checkered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Cole enters this matchup against fellow ace Max Scherzer at 19-0 in his last 25 starts, including three wins in the playoffs. No pitcher has ever won 20 in a row in a single season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI mean, I\u2019ve been in the situation, faced really good pitchers here in the National League over the years; Kershaw, (Jacob) deGrom, those guys. You just know you\u2019ve got to come out there, you\u2019re going to be throwing up zeros. And you\u2019ve got to try to match the intensity from your opponent,\u201d Scherzer said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cAnd Cole\u2019s had a terrific year. So obviously it\u2019s going to one heck of a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Cole led the majors in strikeouts, topped the AL in ERA and finished second in the big leagues to teammate Justin Verlander in wins.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWhen you dream as a little kid, you dream about storybook endings and storybook players and scenarios like that,\u201d Cole said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In the old days of baseball \u2014 like, three or four years ago \u2014 this is about the time someone would step up and say, well, he\u2019s due for a loss.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Got to be, right?<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">NLCS MVP Howie Kendrick chuckled at that notion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI faced him in the past, but what he\u2019s been doing the past few years has been phenomenal since he came over to the Astros. It\u2019s like he\u2019s found his stride,\u201d said Kendrick, who will be Washington\u2019s designated hitter in Game 1.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI\u2019ve been watching him throughout the postseason. His stuff\u2019s electric, everybody knows that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Fusing his talent with the Astros\u2019 fortified analytics approach, Cole has found what works best for him. Among the results with his four-seamer, curve and slider: Nearly 17 percent of his pitches result in a swing-and-miss, the highest rate of anyone since such data has been tracked in the last 18 years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">NL MVP candidate Anthony Rendon is among the few hitters who\u2019ve managed some success against Cole, going 5 for 13 overall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s been truly amazing just to watch him do his thing and the amount of success that he\u2019s had,\u201d Rendon said. \u201cNot that he didn\u2019t have success in Pittsburgh prior.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cBut I think by him coming to a postseason team, being around guys or a team that has been in the postseason more times than not, I think that\u2019s really going to elevate your game and I think that\u2019s true for him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Talking about the Washington lineup, Cole was equally effusive in his praise for Rendon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt starts with Anthony Rendon being the tone-setter, a really special talent, probably a generational talent. We\u2019ll have to see how it all plays out,\u201d Cole said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cBut if it goes as expected, he\u2019ll probably end up in the Hall of Fame. He\u2019s so cool and calm and collected. And I think a lot of his players feed off that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Same way the Astros feel when Cole takes the mound.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Asked recently whether he\u2019d ever seen someone on this kind of run, Verlander answered, \u201cNever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">All this for Cole, along with the prospect of earning well over a $200 million contract in free agency after the World Series ends.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Yet if any of this is going to his head, by the way, it hasn\u2019t been apparent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">On Monday at Minute Maid Park, when the 29-year-old right-hander walked into a small interview room to do a news conference, Astros manager AJ Hinch was finishing up at the podium.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Without fanfare, Cole simply sat down by himself on the well-worn carpet and bided his time for a few minutes, silently picking at his fingernails.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Not a care in the world \u2014 or World Series.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">More AP baseball: <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/MLB\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/apnews.com\/MLB<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP\u2014Sports\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP\u2014Sports<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/cole-astros-face-scherzer-nats-in-world-series-opener\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole speaks during a news conference for baseball&#8217;s World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston Astros face the Washington Nationals in Game 1 on Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay)AP | AP Houston Astros take batting practice for baseball&#8217;s World Series Monday, Oct. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Houston [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1315928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-06 16:58:45","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1315928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1315928"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1315928\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1315928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1315928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1315928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}