Stephen Strasburg gets the ball for the Washington Nationals with a 2-0 lead in the 2019 NLCS, but a 3-0 lead won’t come easy.
St. Louis is going with Jack Flaherty (11-8, 2.75 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 10.6K/9), whose regular-season numbers are solid, but don’t tell the whole story.
In the second half, Flaherty was 7-2 with a 0.91 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 11.2K/9, and an absurd .142/.208/.217 slash line.
In 17 starts, including two in the NLDS, he didn’t give up more than three runs in any of his starts, gave up three runs just three times, and didn’t give up a run in eight of his starts.
Yeah, wow.
He did take the loss in Game 1 of the NLDS to Atlanta, giving up three runs in seven innings in a 3-0 defeat, but he rebounded to win Game 5, though that one was a bit easier, after being staked to a 10-0 lead in the top of the first on the way to a 13-1 laugher.
Still, the Nats will be facing the Cards’ ace in this one.
Nats hitters vs. Flaherty
Not a lot of history here. Flaherty is only in his second full season as a starter, and he has just one career start against Washington, way back on Sept. 3, 2018, a 4-3 loss to the Nats, in which Flaherty gave up a run on three hits in five innings in a no-decision.
Nats hitters are a collective 5-for-21 against Flaherty. Trea Turner hit a first-inning homer in that 2018 game, and Anthony Rendon doubled.
Not a lot there.
Cardinals hitters vs. Strasburg
First, let’s not overlook some important Stras numbers. In 12 starts and one memorable relief appearance since Aug. 9, he has gone 6-1 with a 2.40 ERA, and the Nats are 3-0 in the three games he has pitched in the 2019 postseason, in which he has also put up a 2.40 ERA.
Strasburg pitched twice against St. Louis in 2019, getting the win in a May 2 start in which he gave up a run on six hits in six and two-thirds, striking out nine and walking two, and getting a no-decision in a 4-2 loss on Sept. 16, in which he gave up two runs on three hits in five innings, striking out six and walking four.
Cardinals hitters have collectively put up good numbers against Strasburg career-wise, with 36 hits in 129 at bats, and a cumulative .279/.336/.419 slash line.
That overview perspective could be misleading, though, because the bulk of the damage has been done by Marcell Ozuna: 14-for-44, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 12K, .318/.348/.591 slash.
Other than Ozuna, it’s modest success.
- Paul Goldschmidt: 6-for-23, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K, .261/.370/.341 slash
- Dexter Fowler: 3-for-11, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K, .273/.333/.455 slash
- Yadier Molina: 3-for-11, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .273/.273/.273 slash
- Matt Carpenter: 4-for-18, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K, .222/.263/.333 slash
Story by Chris Graham
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