5 reasons the Astros will win Game 7
It’s only fitting that one of the best World Series in recent memory goes to a decisive Game 7. The Houston Astros could have a few key advantages in the biggest game of the season.
One of the best phrases in all of sports is “Game 7.” Whether you’re a casual fan or a hardcore fan of whatever sport is involved, you know the stakes. The winner gets all the glory and Wednesday night the winner earns the right to call themselves World Series Champions forever. The 2017 World Series between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers has been one for the ages through the first six games. We’re left with one final act to the 2017 MLB season.
Some of the appeal of a Game 7 is there’s an unpredictability to the game. It’s a prime complaint of teams that get in as a Wild Card. The MLB season is structured around three or four game series mostly. In one game, anything can happen and even the slightest bit of chaos can cost a team their season. However, there are some reasons to believe the Astros hold a few edges in Game 7 that could lead them to victory.
5. Starting pitching matchup
It didn’t take long for both teams to announce their Game 7 starters. Both starters are going to have extremely short leashes tonight. The first sign of any real trouble will likely get them pulled out of this game. This is an all-hands-on-deck situation and every pitcher with the exception of Justin Verlander and Rich Hill could enter the game at any point.
The Dodgers will throw Yu Darvish and the Astros will counter with Lance McCullers and there’s reason to believe that Houston holds the advantage here. The last time we saw Darvish take the mound, he got lit up in the shortest start of his career. He didn’t make it out of the second inning and gave up four earned runs on six hits without striking out a single batter. The Astros have to have a fair amount of confidence seeing Darvish again in such a short timeframe.
McCullers stat line doesn’t look great as a whole from Game 3. He only went 5 1/3 innings and gave up three earned runs himself. His control issues also reared their head as he walked four batters. However, most of the damage against McCullers came in the sixth inning. He made it through the first five only giving up one run. The young pitcher is fully capable of firing four or five innings tonight, possibly giving the Astros a big boost.