HOUSTON -- It has been nearly two decades since Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki earned the nickname "Kurt Klutch." His heroics with Team USA and Cal State Fullerton in the College World Series earned him the nickname as well as the Johnny Bench Award as the top amateur catcher in the country in 2004. Fifteen years later, Suzuki is making the nickname stick.
In Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday night, Suzuki had a big night at the plate and helped give the Nationals a 2-0 series lead over the Astros (WAS 12, HOU 3). Most notably, Suzuki clocked the go-ahead solo home run against Justin Verlander in the seventh inning. It was his first career postseason extra-base hit.
"I can't remember the last time I barreled a ball up like that. It felt great. It felt like months ago. Probably was months ago. It felt great," Suzuki said following Game 2. "Just the fact to help the team out any way I can, whatever it was. We get some runs on the board and we were able to put some runs up in the later part of the innings, and it was good."
"Yeah, that was huge," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "I'm glad he hit the home run. And I'm actually glad that -- Stras pitched unbelievable, and he was able to get that win from that -- but Suzuki gives us good at-bats, he's given us good at-bats all year. He got a good pitch to hit and he put a good swing on it."
Suzuki's also had impactful contributions behind the plate earlier in the game, when Verlander and Stephen Strasburg were grinding through the middle innings after each gave up two runs in the first. Following Jose Altuve's first-inning double, Suzuki threw him out trying to steal third base, and that was a rarity. Runners were 45 for 50 -- 45 for 50! -- stealing bases against Suzuki in 2019.
Erasing Altuve on the bases proved to be important when Alex Bregman lifted a two-run home run over the left field wall later in that first inning. Things could've really unraveled on Strasburg and the Nationals that inning had Suzuki not cut Altuve down at third base. He didn't have a great year throwing at all, but, in Game 2, he nabbed a great basestealer at a key moment.
"I don't really get surprised when guys try to run on me," Suzuki said. "Thirty-six years old, I'm getting old now. I know they like to run. They like to steal third. They like to put the pressure on the defense ... You can't rush it, because you have to give (third baseman Anthony Rendon) time and you can't throw it too low, because he'll be running trying to catch it a shoe top. You just try to play catch with him and lucky enough he made a great tag and we got him out which obviously saved us a run, because Bregman hit that homer out there."
For the second straight night Suzuki also helped guide a struggling starting pitcher through an effective start. The Astros had traffic on the bases all night and Max Scherzer needed 112 pitches to get through five innings in Game 1, but he limited Houston to only two runs, and was quick to credit Suzuki following the game.
"It's crazy. Everything's on the line. That lineup is great. They absolutely grinded me," Scherzer said. "Never let me get in rhythm. I was having to make pitches out of the stretch from the first inning on. For me, I just stayed with 'Zuk. 'Zuk called some big time pitchers for me tonight and blocked some big time pitches for me too, especially with runners on third base."
Strasburg allowed the two-run home run in the first inning and had only one 1-2-3 inning in Game 2. The Astros put multiple runners on base in three of his six innings. Following the Bregman homer, Strasburg held Houston to one hit in seven at-bats with runners on base and the one hit didn't score a run. Strasburg struck out Kyle Tucker to end the sixth inning with two men on base to keep the game tied 2-2.
"Yeah, it was a big pitch for Stras," Suzuki said of the 3-2 pitch to strike out Tucker. "He just -- any pitch anytime. He's got so many weapons to get you out with. He's got command. He can really spin the ball. You never really know what pitch is coming, because he can throw any pitch up at any time. If he changes up his patterns we do a good job of sequencing right and it becomes tough for the hitters ... Tried to mix it up, popped it up, and it was great."
Added Strasburg: "He's obviously been great to work with this year and past seasons as well. The things that he sees are always great for me because he might see something completely different than I'm seeing out there. His presence behind the plate -- I don't know if it's the way he puts his fingers down, but he gives you confidence when he puts it down."
Kurt Klutch is not an out of nowhere success story. He was a star as an amateur and has spent 13 years in the big leagues as a quality two-way catcher. He slugged 17 homers in 309 plate appearances during the regular season and has always had a knack for big moments. Add in his work behind the plate, and Suzuki made a significant impact on Game 2.
"I think the sign of a quality catcher is they can differentiate the two," said Strasburg. "Their offensive struggles, when it does happen, (don't) affect what they what do behind the plate. There's a lot of guys throughout the history of the game not known for their offensive ability play for 15 years just because they can handle the pitching staff."
