Three takeaways from Nationals' World Series-tying Game 6 win over Astros

Thomas Lott

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Three takeaways from Nationals' World Series-tying Game 6 win over Astros image

There will be a Game 7 in the 2019 World Series as the Nationals beat the Astros 7-2 to tie the series up 3-3.

Stephen Strasburg tossed 8 1/3 innings of one-run ball to earn the win while Justin Verlander gave up three runs in five innings to be saddled with yet another World Series loss. He is now 0-6 in his career in the "Fall Classic."

Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto and Adam Eaton all homered for Washington as we now prepare for Game 7 on Wednesday.

It will be Zack Greinke vs. Max Scherzer. There's not much more we could ask for.

Three takeaways from Nationals' World Series-tying Game 6 win over the Astros

Stephen Strasburg has surpassed Justin Verlander

Make absolutely no mistake, this game was somewhat of a passing of the torch. And while that normally consists of one teammate passing the baton to another, in this case, it was one postseason star from one league handing it to another man in another league. Justin Verlander is still a very good pitcher, but Stephen Strasburg is just better.

The easiest way to demonstrate it is this: Strasburg can get an out with any pitch he throws, period. And he can do it in the zone. Verlander still can get outs with all of his pitches, but he needs batters to chase now. Strasburg does not. He can throw anything he wants at a batter and dare him to hit it. Verlander simply can't.

To reiterate: does this mean Verlander cannot get guys out on pitches in the zone? Absolutely not. He certainly can. Strasburg can just do it better. That's why he dominated an Astros team that doesn't chase pitches out of the zone in this series and it's why Anthony Rendon went on a 10-pitch at-bat in which he walked against Verlander.

Strasburg is better than Verlander right now and anyone watching the two men pitch in Game 6 saw that. 

Return of the batting eye problem?

An issue that was forgotten about this year in Houston was a problem Astros hitters had with the batter's eye in center field at Minute Maid Park. This was an issue that saw Houston score 51 runs less in 2018 at home during the regular season than they did on the road. Houston posted an OPS+ of 99 at home in 2018 vs. 116 on the road.

It's an issue people forgot about this season because the Astros were so good at home going 60-21 at Minute Maid Park and scoring 68 more runs at home than they did on the road. But with the way the ball is flying differently in the postseason, we wonder if the problem has returned. We say that only to suggest that mentally, Houston might be overthinking it at home.

Houston brought up the fact the batter's eye was a problem last season on multiple occasions and we have to wonder whether it is causing issues again. Houston is struggling to hit — and win — at home. The Astros are now 0-3 in this series at home while scoring nine runs. Houston is scoring 2.66 runs per game at home this postseason and 4.5 on the road.

And while they did win two of three in the ALCS at home, they scored just nine runs. Now, some of this has to be the pitching Houston has faced at Minute Maid Park, but for a team that scored 6.03 runs per game at home this season, one has to wonder. It could also be that the Astros are simply trying too hard to homer into the Crawford Boxes which they have had issues with before. "I don't know if it's subconsciously we see the (short left-field) porch, the Crawford Boxes (at Minute Maid Park) and try to hit the ball out of the ballpark," manager AJ Hinch said in 2018. "It's weird, it's very unusual."

Are the Astros struggling with hitting at their own ballpark now that they know it's tougher to hit with the baseball?

The annual "Justin Verlander should be furious with the lineup" takeaway

Pitcher wins are virtually pointless in baseball. And yes, this is a new-age sentence, we know, but the simple fact is — unless in a National League ballpark — pitchers cannot contribute runs. So a pitcher can only win a game if his team supports him. 

The Astros consistently have failed to support Justin Verlander over the last three postseasons. With Houston's "mammoth" two-run output Tuesday, the Astros have scored 16 runs in six postseason starts in 2019 (2.67 RPG). What's worse, in 15 postseason starts for the Astros in his career, Houston has scored 60 runs (4.00 RPG), but it has scored one run or less four times, two or less six times and three or less eight times. 

It doesn't matter how much of a Hall of Fame resume a guy has, that is asking a pitcher to do far too much. Verlander gave up three runs in Game 6. He gave up four in Game 2. That's more than enough for a teams with the second highest wRC+ in the history of baseball behind only the 1927 Yankees. Verlander should be very displeased with his teammates right now.

Thomas Lott