Nationals vs. Astros: The five storylines that matter most for World Series Game 7

A champion will be crowned Wednesday night in Houston

HOUSTON -- One way or the other, the 2019 World Series will end Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park as the Houston Astros host the Washington Nationals for Game 7. A win would mean the second title in three years for the Astros and the first title in franchise history for the Nationals. Here's how you can watch Game 7.

The Nationals won Game 6 on Tuesday night to force a Game 7 thanks to Stephen Strasburg's heroics, Anthony Rendon's timely hits and Juan Soto's swagger. Mostly Strasburg and Rendon though. Here are five questions heading into Wednesday night's winner-take-all contest.

1. How will Scherzer feel?

In a way, the Nationals' entire season will come down to how Max Scherzer feels when he wakes up Wednesday morning. Scherzer was scratched from his Game 5 start with a neck problem, he received a cortisone shot, then was declared good to go prior to Game 6. He played catch before the game and even warmed up in the bullpen during the game.

"The cortisone shot worked," Scherzer said Tuesday. "That relieved the pressure on the nerve, and then keep applying heat. Our chiropractor, he does amazing work, he was able to go in there and make adjustments. We did two treatments of it and really freed up the neck, the C5-C6 area, along with the trap spasm, really felt like it subsided. And even when I was warming up tonight I felt really good. I'm good to go."

Scherzer says he feels good and the Nationals say he feels good, yet there's still an element of the unknown here. He threw free and easy when he played catch Tuesday, but how will he feel when he's throwing intense live game pitches? Will the stamina be there or will Scherzer wear down earlier than usual? We're all in wait and see mode.

I know this much: Scherzer will give the Nationals everything he has in Game 7. He is a warrior -- this is a guy who dominated with a black eye one day after breaking his nose earlier this year -- and will leave everything he has on the field. 

2. Which Greinke will show up?

The postseason has not been kind to Astros high-profile trade deadline addition Zack Greinke. The veteran right-hander has allowed 11 runs in 18 2/3 innings in his four postseason starts, and he's averaged only 4 2/3 innings per game. His last two starts have been better -- Greinke allowed one run in 4 1/3 innings in ALCS Game 4 and one run in 4 2/3 innings in World Series Game 3 -- but he put 17 runners on base in those nine innings, and nothing came easy.

"They have some good hitters. Not a lot of holes, not a lot of strikeouts. That's probably the toughest part," Greinke said about the Nationals lineup Tuesday. "They had a lot of good at-bats (in Game 3). They pitched pretty good. And they got a good amount of hits. I felt all right and they made it tougher than it would ideally be."

The good version -- the great version -- of Greinke has not shown up yet this October. It's still in there though. He is capable of dominance on any given night, and while the Astros don't necessarily need dominance to win Game 7, it sure would make life easier. Another grind-it-out start from Greinke could send Houston manager A.J. Hinch to the bullpen phone quickly.

3. When will we see Cole?

It feels like a question of "when" Gerrit Cole will pitch in Game 7, not "if." Maybe he won't pitch if the Astros take a big early lead and cruise to a win. Anything short of that, I suspect we will see Cole out of the bullpen at some point Wednesday night. He has never pitched in relief as a professional -- his last relief appearance came at UCLA -- but that's no reason to hold him out in Game 7.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow," Hinch said when asked about Cole's Game 7 availability following Game 6.

Cole threw 110 pitches in seven dominant innings in Game 5 and World Series history is littered with big name pitchers who came out of the bullpen in Game 7 two days after starting Game 5. Some recent examples:

• Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers: Four shutout innings in 2017 Game 7.
• Jon Lester, Cubs: Two runs (one earned) in three innings in 2016 Game 7.
• Madison Bumgarner, Giants: Five shutout innings in 2014 Game 7.

Does Cole pull a Bumgarner and dominate in a win? Pull a Lester and pitch so-so in an eventual win? Or pull a Kershaw and turn in an incredible performance that gets forgotten because his team lost? There are countless other possible scenarios, of course, and I would bet on Cole dominating even on two days rest. He is likely Plan A in the middle innings Wednesday night.

4. Who will be named World Series MVP?

Prior to Game 6, Jose Altuve topped our World Series MVP rankings. Alex Bregman has to be in the conversation now after hitting another home run, his third of the series, in Game 6. His 8 RBI lead all the players in the World Series. Rendon is hitting .292 with 7 RBI and more walks (three) than strikeouts (two) in the series, and Soto has three homers and a .407 on-base percentage. We can't rule out Strasburg either.

What if Cole pulls a 2014 Bumgarner out of the bullpen? I think that would put him in the World Series MVP conversation despite his Game 1 dud. Ultimately, Game 7 will play a major role in determining the World Series MVP. The player who gets The Big Hit could take home the award. Right now, I'd bet on Altuve or Bregman winning the award if the Astros win Game 7. If the Nationals win, I think it'll be Strasburg no matter who hits well or pitches well Wednesday.

5. Will road team history be made?

The road team is a perfect 6-0 in the 2019 World Series. It is the first time in baseball history the road team has won the first six games of the World Series. Never once in the history of the four major North American sports leagues has a team won a best-of-seven championship series with four wins on the road. Not in MLB, the NBA, or the NHL. It's never happened. The Nationals can be the first to do it Wednesday.