The Washington Nationals and Houston Astros will send a pair of aces to the mound when Max Scherzer and Zack Greinke take the bump in Game 7 of the World Series.
Another pair of aces in Stephen Strasburg and Gerrit Cole could make relief appearances, as well. According to Dan Shulman of ESPN, Cole is locked in as an option out of the bullpen, and Strasburg could pitch in back-to-back games depending on a conversation with Nationals manager Dave Martinez:
From the managers – Verlander 100% out, Cole in play, for how long and in what spot TBD. No limits on Scherzer, he can go as long as he can go. Strasburg not 100% ruled out, he and Davey will have a conversation. #worldseries
— Dan Shulman (@DShulman_ESPN) October 30, 2019
Both Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg are coming off dominant starts. Cole scattered three hits and nine strikeouts across seven innings of work in Game 5, while Strasburg tossed 8 1/3 innings during Game 6.
There had been speculation that Cole would make himself available for a potential Game 7, but Strasburg's name is a surprise in this conversation.
Strasburg threw 104 pitches and has thrown at least 100 pitches in each of his four starts in the postseason. The Nationals also have fellow starters Anibal Sanchez and Patrick Corbin available in relief. Of course, Strasburg would be an invaluable option in any high-leverage spot, be it for one inning or just one batter.
Gerrit Cole's presence in the bullpen should serve as a comfort for Astros manager A.J. Hinch. Outside of Will Harris and Joe Smith, the Astros have not had a reliable arm out of the bullpen. Ryan Pressly and Jose Urquidy are two other options, but they do not have the same level of dominance as Cole.
Both managers are fully prepared to pull out all the stops for Game 7.
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