WASHINGTON -- Coming into Sunday, Game 5 of the 2019 World Series was supposed to feature a matchup of aces: Gerrit Cole for the Houston Astros and Max Schezer for the Washington Nationals. That, plus the best-of-seven series being tied at 2-2, gave Sunday that special big-game feeling that doesn't come around often. Unfortunately, Scherzer was scratched hours before first pitch due to neck and back spasms, with Joe Ross starting in his place. Cole, to his credit, still did everything he could to make Sunday's game one for pitching fans.

Cole threw seven one-run innings in what could be his final start before hitting the open market. He permitted just three hits and two walks while striking out nine on 110 pitches. The only run he allowed came on Juan Soto's solo homer in the bottom of the seventh.

For Cole, Sunday marked a bounce-back effort after an uncharacteristically shaky Game 1. He entered the World Series having permitted one run in 22 October innings, but yielded five runs in seven innings against the Nationals. Cole had attributed his rough Game 1 outing to the Nationals winning two-strike counts. "I've said this a few times since we've been to the postseason, our opponents have not taken a pitch off," Cole remarked prior to Game 5. "The intent and certainty on the approaches and on the focus on the pitches just continues to just raise across the board. And so you have to deal with that. You have to respond to that."

Cole did by winning nearly every two-strike count he faced. (Soto's home run and a Ryan Zimmerman walk were the exceptions.) He showcased his power arsenal, averaging 97 mph on his fastball and generating 13 swinging strikes. Nine of those came on his secondaries -- either his upper-80s slider or mid-80s spike curve -- the rest on elevated heaters. As a result the Nationals, who struggled to cash in on their opportunities throughout Games 3 and 4, couldn't muster many in Game 5. 

The question now is whether Cole will make another appearance -- or heck, if the Astros will need to ask him to appear in Game 7. Cole seemed up for the chance. "I hope I go home with nothing left in the tank," he said. "I just hope I'm just absolutely dog tired by the time I get home."

Thanks to Cole, the Astros are going home -- dog tired or otherwise -- with a chance to win their second championship in three years.