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The Houston Astros are going to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Washington Nationals, beating them 4-1 in Game 3. They return Saturday evening hoping to even the series back up in Game 4.
Houston jumped on top in the second inning 1-0, and held on throughout. Washington ended up with numerous two-on situations, but unlike the first two games, they struggled to connect with runners in scoring position. The Nationals finished with 12 men left on base over the course of the four-hour affair.
We’re back for another look at the MVP candidates with a top ten power ranking. DraftKings Sportsbook posted World Series MVP odds prior to first pitch, and we’ll spend the remainder of this series tracking how players perform game-by-game and how it impacts the eventual MVP award. We broke down what the race looked like after Game 1 and Game 2.
Zach Greinke held the Nationals in check, but it was a battle for him. He was pulled after 4 2⁄3 innings after walking three and giving up seven hits. He only allowed one run, but the Nationals repeatedly worked long counts to force their way into the bullpen. The Astros will roll out Jose Urquidy in Game 4 looking for the first win by one of their starters in the series.
The win moves the Astros back into this series, which moves them into the mix for the MVP award. Michael Brantley had two RBIs and has back-to-back two-hit games. Additionally, George Springer added another two-hit game. Where it gets interesting and a little dicey is with closer Roberto Osuna. He got the save in Game 3, and if he were to get two or three more saves in an Astros series win, one has to wonder if the media would be willing to vote for him in light of his domestic violence history and the impact he has had on this series.
The Nationals face a huge Game 4. They can still win the series in DC, but if they lose Game 4, it guarantees the series goes back to Houston and both Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander would get another start. All that is to say that if Patrick Corbin has a strong start in Game 4, coupled with his huge one inning of relief in Game 1, I think he could very well take home the series MVP.
1. Adam Eaton (+4000)
2. Patrick Corbin (+4000)
3. Ryan Zimmerman (+5000)
4. Michael Brantley (+2000)
5. George Springer (+1000)
6. Juan Soto (+1400)
7. Jose Altuve (+1000)
8. Sean Doolittle (+6600)
9. Robert Osuna (+10000)
10. Kurt Suzuki (+15000)