World Series Game 6: Washington Nationals v Houston Astros – live!

Nationals 1-2 Astros, top 3^rd

Adam Eaton takes a strike and then a ball. On 1-1, he fouls off a pitch. This makes it already the most patient at-bat of the inning. He fouls the next one off. Verlander’s next pitch is a ball. It’s a 2-2 count now. Verlander’s next pitch is outside and we have a full count. Not a lot of those so far in the game, not that this blogger is complaining. And the next pitch is outside and Eaton takes his base.

Nationals 1-2 Astros, top 3^rd

Trea Turner flies out to centerfield.

Nationals 1-2 Astros, top 3^rd

Yan Gomes is up and he grounds out to Altuve just like that.

Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 2^nd

Robinson Chirinos, who has had a decent World Series, is up next to see if he can salvage something in the inning after the first two outs. He can’t, he grounds out to Turner. Strasburg definitely looked a lot more Strasburgian there.

Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 2^nd

Carlos Correa takes a ball and then a quality curveball for a strike. On the next pitch, Correa grounds out to Rendon. That’s another fast out for Strasburg.

Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 2^nd

Yordan Alvarez is up now. How Strasburg adjusts in this second inning could end up being the game. He gets Alvarez to ground out, which is a solid start to things.

Nationals 1-2 Astros, top 2^nd

Victor Robles takes one high for a ball and then a slightly lower pitch that’s still a ball. He’s in a 2-0 count but he takes a massive cut on a pitch in exactly the same spot. Verlander’s next pitch is also out of the zone, but Robles swings again. He’s getting plenty of deception here and, in fact, he gets Robles to get himself out on the next pitch for another swinging strikeout. That was a classic Verlander inning.

Nationals 1-2 Astros, top 2^nd

Ryan Zimmerman takes a borderline strike and then a less-borderline ball. 1-1 before flying out. That’s two quick outs for Verlander.

Nationals 1-2 Astros, top 2^nd

Well, Washington are already down. Asdrubal Cabrera is up and he strikes out on four pitches for the Verlander “k.”

Can’t say that there haven’t been early twists in this one.

Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 1^st

Yuli Gurriel hits a monster flyball out that just barely stays in the park. Soto makes the catch, but he might have hurt himself in the process. It certainly looks like the Astros are ready to end this thing.

Nationals 1-2 Astros, bottom 1^st

Alex Bregman is up with the bases empty and two out. He takes two straight balls and then hits a mammoth home run. The Astros have the lead and the train at Minute Maid Park goes off.

Nationals 1-1 Astros, bottom 1^st

Let’s see how Strasburg reacts after that early hiccup. Well, he gets Michael Brantley looking on a 2-2 count (although the pitch is clearly outside).

Nationals 1-1 Astros, bottom 1^st

Altuve drives Springer in with a sacrifice fly, that’s a morale killer right there. It would have been better off if Springer had just hit a home run.

Nationals 1-0 Astros, bottom 1^st

And here’s Jose Altuve. Strasburg’s first pitch to him gets away from Gomes, that’s a wild pitch and Springer immediately makes it to third with nobody out. Things are getting bad for Washington ridiculously quick.

Nationals 1-0 Astros, bottom 1^st

The George Springer Show is leading off against Strasburg and he immediately rips a double to start of the inning. Houston gets very loud immediately.

Email from Sammy Lopez Metta Bexar:

Howdy from 130 miles west of Houston! Noting that nothing much seems to have happened so far, I thought I’d correct an earlier comment and say “No Gationals! Ouston Hastros in six!”

Because standards.

This is becoming a thing, I see.

Nationals 1-0 Astros, top 1^st

The venerable Howie Kendrick takes a strike to start his at-bat. 0-1. Verlander’s next pitch loops up and over the strike zone for a ball but he gets Kendrick to pop up to Josh Reddick. Still, Stephen Strasburg is going to be pitching with an early lead, which is good news for the Nationals.

Nationals 1-0 Astros, top 1^st

Here comes Juan Soto with Rendon on first and still just one out… but Soto skies one to Michael Brantley in the outfield. That’s two down.

Nationals 1-0 Astros, top 1^st

Anthony Rendon takes a pitch and then fouls off the next pitch. 1-1. Rendon checks his swing on the next Verlander pitcher, but it’s a strike so that’s all for naught. 1-2. Verlander’s next pitch is way outside, blocked by the catcher Chirinos. 2-2. Rendon takes a solid cut on the next pitch and fouls it off. Still 2-2. Verlander’s next pitch is outside. 3-2. On the next pitch Rendon slaps a single through the infield and the Nationals get on the board first. Home field disadvantage continues?

Nationals 0-0 Astros, top 1^st

Adam Eaton is up next for the Nationals with Turner on first and nobody out. Eaton bunts Turner over, which goes as a sacrifice. Washington wants to score first here very much.

Nationals 0-0 Astros, top 1^st

Turner fouls the next pitch off and then swings and misses. Verlander’s next pitch is a ball, even though the Astros crowd was already roaring for Verlander to get things started with a strikeout. Verlander gets Turner to ground out to Bregman… but it looks like Bregman actually beat it out.

And he did. It’s reversed. Infield hit for Turner.

Nationals 0-0 Astros, top 1^st

Justin Verlander is up facing Trea Turner. His first pitch is way upstairs for a ball and Game 6 has begun!

Possibly relevant: by all accounts Max Scherzer is ready to go for tomorrow’s Game 7 if there happens to be a Game 7. The FOX analysts are desperately trying to will a Nationals victory tonight by hyping up Strasburg and talking up Scherzer’s availability. Okay, except David Ortiz who would rather not cancel his plans.

While this goes against my earlier prediciton, I do want to re-use some of my earlier content here just because I think this would be hilarious:

Clay Walker performs a tasteful, country rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.” I dug it, but I just watched the whole Ken Burns “Country Music” miniseries so I’m in the right state of mind for it. 8/10.

Email from Roger Kirkby:

I never get how they come up with viewing figures, having lived in America for over twenty years my experience is the World Series is on in every bar, restaurant, airport lounge, prison, bus station , old folks home and sports fans house. How they come up with a figure of only 12 million watching is beyond me. Now people can watch on mobile devices the figures are even more unbelievable P.S. I only know about prisons from watching movies.

And it’s even more complicated in the streaming era, I imagine.

Email from Neil Zimmerman:

After listening to the latest Ringer MLB podcast I am well and truly rooting for the Nationals after hearing the full story in relation to the Brandon Taubman issue and the Astros “attempt” at a response.

Thanks for the coverage.

You are very much not alone in this sentiment. It should be noted that Astros owner Jim Cramer eventually apologizes for the organization’s attempt to defame Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein for breaking that particular story.

It looks like catcher Kurt Suzuki isn’t available to start, Gomes is in his place.

1. Trea Turner, SS

2. Adam Eaton, RF

3. Anthony Rendon, 3B

4. Juan Soto, LF

5. Howie Kendrick, DH

6. Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B

7. Ryan Zimmerman, 1B

8. Victor Robles, CF

9. Yan Gomes, C

Predictions

My pessimistic take? I think it’s over. The Nationals had a golden opportunity to win this series and they blew it and now it’s Houston’s time to put them out of misery. The only hope left is that there’s at least some drama here today before the postseason comes to a close.

I predict that Washington will find a way to score of Verlander and take a lead into the late innings before the bullpen, which manager Dave Martinez has been attempting to avoid using (to a fault) finally blows things late. Look for this one to be decided on a Houston home run hit by an unexpected player on an 0-2 count with two out in the inning. Astros 6, Nationals 5. Final.

Agree, disagree, just want to vent or gloat about how the series has gone so far? Send us your thoughts via email (to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com) or Twitter (to @HunterFelt).

Not great news for the MLB

So far, it’s looking like this could be the least watched World Series of all time. It’s not hard to imagine why: neither the Astros or the Nationals have national interest, the sport has taken a noticeable dip in popularity over the last few years and (perhaps most importantly) the games themselves have mostly been dreadful. With the exception of the dramatics of Game 1, most of these games have been decided around 2/3rds of the way in and have ended up being blowouts one way or another.

Perhaps the MLB needs some drama today and a potential Game 7. Maybe casual and potential fans don’t care one way or another. Oh well, we’ll always remember the “lock him up” chants at least.

Let’s not mince words. The Washington Nationals blew it and now they’re a game away from being eliminated. The Nationals beat the Houston Astros on the road in the first two games of the series, scoring victories despite the fact the other team started Gerrit Cole and then Justin Verlander. They had their next three games at home at Nationals Park where all they had to do was take two out of the next three to win the 2019 World Series.

Instead the Washington offense faltered badly. The Nationals couldn’t even get their scoring going in what was supposed to be a Bullpen Game (which ended up becoming the Jose Urquidy Game). Then Max Scherzer was scratched from his Game 5 start, not that it mattered much since the Nationals hitters were absolutely stymied by Cole in what ended up being a 7-1 loss.

So, now the Nationals are a game away from elimination. The good news is that they have Stephen Strasburg, who has gone 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in the postseason, on the mound for Game 6. Meanwhile, the Astros can’t be 100% certain about what they will get from Verlander, who has been less than stellar ever since Houston tried pitching him on short rest earlier in the postseason.

There’s no real need to manufacture drama here. This is an elimination game, which means the MLB season either ends right here and now or we get a dramatic Game 7. The stakes don’t get any higher.

So, will the Astros close things out or will the World Series “home field disadvantage” trend continue? We’ll find out in a few hours. This also means it could be your last chance to contribute to a World Series liveblog this year, so get in your thoughts, questions or jokes if you have them. You can either email them to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com or tweet them to @HunterFelt.

It’s Game 6 of the 2019 World Series featuring the Washington Nationals against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. First pitch is scheduled at 8:08pm EST but we’ll be back well before then with all sorts of updates, predictions and random trivia.

Hunter will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s what happened when the President turned up to Sunday’s Game 5: