Nationals Vs. Astros, World Series Game 1: What You Need To Know

It's been a week since the Washington Nationals swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series, and it's finally time to kick off the World Series after the Houston Astros dispatched the New York Yankees in six games.

Game 1 begins Tuesday night in Houston, and Game 2 will take place Wednesday night. The series shifts to D.C. for games 3-5 (Friday-Sunday), and — if necessary — will return to Houston for Game 6 and Game 7 on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

The Nationals and Astros did not play each other during the regular season. While betting odds favor the Astros, the Nationals have had the best record in baseball since late May, and they're 8-2 in the playoffs so far.

Tickets are still available for the series, although not surprisingly, they're pretty pricey. You can get a 10 percent discount on tickets by using the code "PatchTickets10" at checkout. Here's everything you need to know about Game 1, and the series in general.

WHAT: World Series Game 1, Washington Nationals (93-69) at Houston Astros (107-55)

WHERE: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas

WHEN: 8:08 p.m. EST

WHO: Not surprisingly, Max Scherzer will be the starter for Game 1. He'll face off against the Astros' Gerrit Cole. A big player to watch is Anthony Rendon, who has been the biggest force in the Nats' batting lineup this postseason and will be playing his first World Series game in his hometown of Houston. The Nats also will be hoping that young slugger Juan Soto steps up in this series.

HOW TO WATCH: The game will be broadcast nationwide on Fox.

Here we go. #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/4AGxugAlcJ
— MLB (@MLB) October 21, 2019

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:

CNN: "The Houston Astros are trying to win their second World Series in three seasons, while the Washington Nationals — in their first Fall Classic in franchise history — will attempt to complete one of the most improbable comebacks in baseball, becoming the fourth team in MLB history to reach the World Series after being 12 games under .500 during the season. It's the first World Series appearance for a team from the nation's capital since the 1933 Washington Senators."

ESPN: "The biggest question for the Nationals: The bullpen. The Nationals had the worst bullpen ERA by a playoff team since World War II. Other than one Corbin blowup against the Dodgers, however, the pen has been pretty solid this postseason. Still, Martinez can comfortably rely upon just three relievers: closer Daniel Hudson, lefty Sean Doolittle and Tanner Rainey, who throws 100 and has pitched his way into a setup role. Those three have combined to allow four runs and 10 hits with 15 strikeouts in 17 innings in the playoffs."

SB Nation: "The Nats winning is not the most likely outcome, but, as the cliche goes, anything can happen in a short series. What matters is that we have a compelling, multi-layered narrative to pay attention to: an attempt at a mini-dynasty, potential last, best chances at winning, departing free agent stars, and no juiced ball in sight to mess with any of it. The playoffs so far have been an incredible spectacle, and the World Series looks like a worthy culmination of that spectacle."

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