Houston Astros and Washington Nationals: How they stack up for the World Series
By Bill Felber
Pitching
On paper, and particularly at the top, Houston’s numbers are superior. Powered by the tandem of Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, the Houston Astros ranked first in ERA+ (127) and strikeouts (1.671). Cole and Verlander, of course, both struck out 300 opponents.
By comparison, Washington’s staff ranked only 11th in ERA+ at 108, and just eighth in strikeouts at 1,511, 160 fewer than Houston.
With the exception of home runs allowed, Houston’s staff was also superior in other major categories. Here’s a table comparing the two staffs in five significant categories.
Houston (rank) Washington (rank)
Runs Per Game 3.95 (2nd) 4.47 (9th)
ERA 3.66 (3rd) 4.27 (13th)
Fewest hits 1,205 (2nd) 1,340 (T7)
Fewest home runs 230 (19th) 202 (7th)
Fewest walks 448 (2nd) 517 (12th)
Those, however, are season-long numbers, which means they encompass Washington’s 19-31 start. Since then, the two staffs have performed on precisely even footing in terms of runs allowed, both averaging 4.15 runs allowed per game.
The other factor that could operate in Washington’s favor – and indeed, which could be critical in a seven-game series, is rotation depth. Washington’s third and fourth starters, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez, delivered a 25-15 regular-season record and collective 3.52 ERA in 63 starts. Granted, Corbin has pitched poorly in the post-season thus far. But so has Greinke, Sanchez has been superb for Washington, and Houston won’t even carry a fourth starter into the World’s Series.
If Scherzer and Strasburg can merely hold their own against Verlander and Cole, the performance of the third and fourth pitchers could be decisive.