What's ahead? Nationals' World Series FAQ
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WASHINGTON -- The Nationals have won their first National League pennant in franchise history bringing the World Series back to D.C. for the first time in 86 years.
They stunned the Brewers in the National League Wild Card Game, upset the Dodgers in the NL Division Series and blitzed the Cardinals in the NL Championship Series to secure their spot in the Fall Classic.
• World Series presented by YouTube TV, Game 1: Tues., 8 p.m. ET on FOX
And now the Nationals have the luxury of giving their veteran club a few extra days of rest. While Washington awaits its opponent, here are a few things to look out for before the World Series begins:
| Game | Date | Result | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gm 1 | Oct. 22 | WSH 5, HOU 4 | Watch |
| Gm 2 | Oct. 23 | WSH 12, HOU 3 | Watch |
| Gm 3 | Oct. 25 | HOU 4, WSH 1 | Watch |
| Gm 4 | Oct. 26 | HOU 8, WSH 1 | Watch |
| Gm 5 | Oct. 27 | HOU 7, WSH 1 | Watch |
| Gm 6 | Oct. 29 | WSH 7, HOU 2 | Watch |
| Gm 7 | Oct. 30 | WSH 6, HOU 2 | Watch |
Shop for postseason gear: • Buy Nationals NL Champions gear
When and where is Game 1 of the World Series and how can I watch it?
The Nationals will be the road team in Game 1 -- facing the winner of the Yankees-Astros ALCS -- Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
All World Series games will be available to MLB.TV subscribers who are authenticated subscribers to FOX through a participating pay TV provider.
How do the Nationals match up against their potential World Series opponents?
Astros: If there’s a team capable of negating Washington’s rotation advantage, it’s the Astros, who can line up Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole against Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. The Nats and Astros ranked second and third in rotation ERA during the regular season, so it’s no surprise that both teams have relied extensively on starting pitching during the playoffs. The Nationals haven’t played the Astros since 2017, when they took two of three in Houston.
Yankees: The Yankees feature a different style than the Astros, relying less on their rotation and more on their bullpen. They also led the Majors with 5.82 runs per game during the regular season, hitting a franchise-record 306 home runs. A significant factor is whether Giancarlo Stanton, who is nursing a right quad strain, will be healthy enough to play if the Yankees advance. He’s a career .305 hitter against Scherzer, Strasburg and Patrick Corbin, with seven home runs in 89 plate appearances.
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Will the Nationals make any roster changes?
Maybe some small changes to the back end of the bullpen, but the Nationals’ roster should look about the same as it did during the NLCS.
What will the rotation look like?
With six full days off before Game 1, the Nationals can line up their rotation as they see fit. That likely means Scherzer, Strasburg, Corbin and Aníbal Sánchez, in that order, though it’s possible they could bump up Sánchez. That would give them more freedom to use Corbin in relief early in the Series.
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Are there any injury concerns?
Nothing of note. The Nationals came through the NLCS healthy, and should have their regular lineup, rotation and bullpen all at full strength for Game 1 of the World Series.