The Washington Nationals are not favored to win the 2019 World Series — all the more reason why they will.
On May 25, when the Nationals were 19-31 and the second-worst team in the National League, they only had a 0.1% chance of making the World Series according to Baseball Reference. They then snuck through the Wild Card and beat the Milwaukee Brewers, upset the Los Angeles Dodgers in the divisional round, and swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win the National League pennant.
Once again the Nationals are faced with impossible odds. Heading into the World Series matchup against the Nationals, Las Vegas betting odds gave the Astros a 70% chance of winning it all.
Throughout the season, however, the Nationals have consistently done exactly what they weren’t supposed to, and that’s precisely why everyone should cash in on the Vegas odds that once again give fuel to a ballclub that has been unstoppable since they embraced their underdog label.
Many people say this Series between the Nationals and Astros is set to be one of the greatest pitching matchups in history, and that just might be the only thing they’ve gotten right so far. For the first time, five of the season’s top 10 strikeouts leaders will pitch in the World Series.
The Nationals’ starters have been more than reliable throughout this postseason run. In the NLCS, the starters put up a combined 1.35 earned run average and held the Cardinals to 13-for-92 (a combined batting average of .141).
The trouble for Nationals pitching, however, comes from their bullpen. The talk of the Series is who will have to go to their bullpen first, and in game one it was the Nationals.
Doolittle and Hudson are their reliable relievers, and as the postseason has played out, really the only guys they trust to close out the game, but when Sherzer’s pitch count was at plus 100 going into the sixth inning of game one, they had to get creative.
In the sixth, they turned to Patrick Corbin, their number three starter. He was set to start game three, but it now looks like Dave Martinez is uncertain of Corbin’s Friday. Game one really showed how little depth and trust they have in their pen. If the Nationals can’t get their starters to go through seven in the World Series, that could spell some serious trouble, especially with the hot bats of Houston. Despite the fact the Nationals pulled off game one, they used four relievers who are no less ready and reliable in the games to come. With Corbin in particular, bringing him into game one now means he might not be ready to start a crucial game three.
Despite the challenges of their bullpen, the naysayers, and the odds, the Nationals have heart.
In a town where people disagree on just about everything, the Nationals might be the only thing everyone can get behind. And, if any city desperately needs a feel good year, it’s the Nation’s capital.
The team’s motto has been “Stay in the Fight”, and now all across the city, from bars to billboards, the words “Finish the Fight” are posted as a city comes together to cheer on history in the making.
Throughout the postseason the Washington Nationals have found a way to win, and they show no sign of slowing down. They’re loving every moment of their journey, they’re having a whole lot of fun, and they’ve got a lot of people to prove wrong. That’s what baseball is all about, and with all of the heart they’ve got on the diamond, and all of the chemistry they’ve got in the clubhouse, those are some pretty difficult odds to bet against.
