{"id":16248,"date":"2019-10-25T10:33:55","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T14:33:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/?p=16248"},"modified":"2019-10-25T10:34:29","modified_gmt":"2019-10-25T14:34:29","slug":"ws-game-2-reaction-and-weekend-thoughts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalsarmrace.com\/?p=16248","title":{"rendered":"WS Game 2 Reaction and Weekend thoughts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"HOUSTON,<\/a>

HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 23: Kurt Suzuki #28 of the Washington Nationals hits a solo home run against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning in Game Two of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 23, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Well, I spent most of Wednesday night’s game on pins and needles, watching\u00a0Stephen Strasburg<\/strong> wiggle out of one jam after another after an elating-then-deflating first inning, then cheering for the shock\u00a0Kurt Suzuki<\/strong>\u00a0 homer and then standing in awe as the game got away from Houston completely, resulting in a blow-out win.<\/p>\n

(I even found myself making a “get off my lawn comment” when\u00a0Martin Maldonado<\/strong> hit the 9th inning homer to “cut” the lead to 12-3 … and the Houston stadium dimmed the lights and blew the air horn and ran their stupid train as if it was the greatest home run ever hit in franchise history … um, guys?\u00a0 Time and Place.\u00a0 Your team was 5 minutes from getting embarassingly swept on home soil as more than a 2-1 WS favorite … maybe a good time to not strobe the damn stadium lights like you’re in a Vegas club).<\/p>\n

Anyway.\u00a0 I thought the Nats could get to Verlander in game 2 in my preview<\/a>\u00a0to get a split in Houston.\u00a0 Never in my wildest dream would I think we’d sweep games on Houston’s soil to return home with a 2-0 lead.\u00a0 Just amazing.<\/p>\n

Davey Martinez<\/strong> was given a free pass to save his critical bullpen arms, get other guys work, get\u00a0Tanner Rainey<\/strong> back on track, not burn any starter innings … i mean, you just couldn’t ask for a better game.<\/p>\n

Now what?\u00a0 \u00a0Well, I initially thought the three games in DC would go like this:<\/p>\n