ASTROS CAN CRASS EXEC
Struggling sluggers face uphill battle
WASHINGTON — On and off the field, the Astros have been a mess since ousting the Yankees from the ALCS in six games.
Thursday, the best team in the American League took a step in the right direction outside the white lines when the Astros fired assistant GM Brandon Taubman for his unacceptable behavior during their celebration Saturday in the Minute Maid Park clubhouse.
Friday night, they get the chance to claw back at the Nationals in Game 3 of the World Series, which s hi f t s to Nationals Park with the hosts holding a commanding 2-0 lead over the club that led the majors with 107 regular-season victories. The change in venue means the designated hitters won’t be in play, which will provide the world the chance to watch AL pitchers look foolish at the plate.
The Nationals outscored the Astros, 17-7, in the first two games, are hitting .307 (23-for-75) to the Astros’ .257 (19-for-74), have a higher OPS (.913) to (.753) and are batting .333 (7-for-21) with runners in scoring position compared to the Astros’ .176 (3-for-17). The Astros have stranded 20 runners to the Nationals’ 12.
Favored to win a second World Series title in three years entering
Game 1, the Astros and ace Gerrit Cole lost, 5-4. In Game 2, co-ace Justin Verlander absorbed the defeat in a 12-3 beating. The two best Astros starters were outpitched by Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, and if Anibal Sanchez does that to Zack Greinke in Game 3, it’s likely the Nationals will be nine innings away from the first World Series championship in team history and the first in D.C. since 1924. Friday night’s Game 3 is the first World Series game in D.C. since 1933.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Patrick Corbin will start Game 4. Astros boss A. J. Hinch hasn’t offered his pitching plans though it could be a reliever opening the game.
Martinez addressed the possibility of complacency getting a grip on his players.
“We talked about this [Wednesday] about complacency. I don’t think our guys would ever do that, but we said, ‘Hey, we’ve still got a lot of baseball left,’ ’’ Martinez said. “We’ve just got to focus on today and go home, rest and get ready to play and go 1-0 again. That’s been the message all year. We don’t try to get ahead of ourselves. These guys need to understand the focus on the here and now and do the little things. That’s what’s got us here. And we’ve got to continue to do that.’’
The Nationals could help themselves by continuing to check AL MVP candidate Alex Bregman, who is 1-for-8 (.125) with a homer and two RBIs in the f irst two games. Ditto Carlos Correa, who is 1-for-9 (.111).
While Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon, an NL MVP possibility, is 1-for-8 (.125), Juan Soto, who turns 21 on Friday, is 4-for-7 (.571) with a homer and three RBIs, and Adam Eaton is 4-for-8 (.500) with one home run and three RBIs.
Correa said the Astros held a players-only meeting following Game 2. Hinch downplayed the players-only aspect and called it a group of players brainstorming.
“I think guys are trying to fight for the season. It’s a seven-game series, four you have to win. They’ve won two and a lot of questions are coming our way as if — yes, it’s an uphill battle, but it’s not impossible,’’ Hinch said. “Not when you have the best record in baseball over the course of 162 games. I would temper a little bit of the players-only dramatic meeting that everybody loves to ask about whenever we lose a couple of games. I think it was the players picking up players.’’
If that was the case, what needs to be picked up Friday night is a much heavier load than in Games 1 and 2.