Washington Nationals Must Stay Mad For Game 1 of the WS
By TC Zencka
Dave Martinez manages the Washington Nationals using three guiding principles: stay in the fight, go 1-0 every day, and if Max Scherzer can pitch, let him pitch.
Does it matter who starts game 1 of the World Series for the Washington Nationals? Max Scherzer started the Wild Card game, Patrick Corbin game 1 of the NLDS, Anibal Sanchez game 1 of the NLCS. They won all of those series.
The World Series, obviously, is a different animal. It carries the urgency of the Wild Card game with the length of the NLCS. In practical terms, that means everything is on the table regarding pitcher usage: starters in relief, starters on short rest, Hudson and/or Doolittle for multiple innings at a time.
That said, it’s a little misleading to say everything is on the table, because in fact, the options are limited. Austin Voth will not be getting a start in the World Series. Fernando Rodney will not (hopefully, by god) get the opportunity to close out a game. What we actually mean is that as far as pitcher abuse is concerned – we are no longer concerned.
Plan A for Dave Martinez is to assign any/all important innings to his super six: Scherzer, Strasburg, Corbin, Sanchez, Sean Doolittle, Daniel Hudson. In a grinder or extra-inning game, Tanner Rainey or Rodney could be called upon to face a batter or two, probably a full inning at most. If anyone else on the pitching staff makes an appearance, it’s because there’s a blowout or deep extras.
Starting pitcher order, then, is our first opportunity to second guess Davey’s decision-making in the 2019 World Series. It affects what extra arms Martinez will have available to him out of the pen on which days. It affects who is guaranteed the most starts, and who Davey can use the most.
The dominoes start to fall as soon as he names a game 1 starter.