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A18 SPORTS
Friday 6 OctOber 2017

LITTLE

BIG MAN

Altuve blasts 3 HRs as Astros rout red Sox in Game 1

Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve celebrates his solo home run, his third of the
game, against the Boston Red Sox in the seventh inning in Game 1 of
a baseball American League Division Series, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, in
Houston.
Associated Press
Page 20

Nats pick Strasburg to pitch Game 1; Scherzer start unknown

throw off a bullpen mound the bullpen Wednesday; nounced their pitching
Thursday, making it seem on Thursday, Baker again plans, saying Wednesday
likely he would start Game said Scherzer would have that their rotation would be
2 on Saturday. The series a bullpen session.“When Kyle Hendricks in Game 1,
opens Friday night at Wash- you have a nagging in- Jon Lester in Game 2, Jose
ington. jury, every day is important Quintana in Game 3 and
General manager Mike Riz- for our trainers to evaluate Jake Arrieta in Game 4,
zo said the team would not it, put hands on him, and if there is one in the best-
decide on a Game 2 start- see if he’s still sore or if he’s of-five series.Scherzer is a
er until later Thursday. Bak- feeling great,” Baker said. two-time Cy Young winner,
er said either Scherzer or Because of days off in the including taking the 2013
Gonzalez would get Game schedule, whoever pitches AL honor while with the
2, and the other Game 3. in Game 2 could be avail- Detroit Tigers. This season,
Washington Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg looks on during “A lot of it depends on our able on regular rest to start he topped the NL in strike-
baseball practice at Nationals Park, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, in evaluation of Scherzer,” Game 5, if there is one. outs with 268 and finished
Washington. Baker said. Asked whether that could second with a 2.51 ERA,
Associated Press For the second day in a be a factor in the decision while leading the Nation-
By HOWARD FENDRICH winner Max Scherzer might row, Scherzer threw on flat of when Scherzer is used, als in wins at 16-6.Strasburg,
AP Sports Writer not pitch before Game 3. ground in the outfield but Baker said: “Is that worth meanwhile, has been just
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ste- Scherzer tweaked his right did not go through a bull- taking a chance — and if about as dominant in 2017,
phen Strasburg will start hamstring during his last pen session off a mound, you get past the first round, going 15-4 with a 2.52 ERA
Game 1 of Washington’s regular-season start and which starters usually do then are you jeopardizing and 204 strikeouts — and
NL Division Series against bypassed planned bullpen two or three days before a the second round? So you particularly terrific down
the Chicago Cubs, Nation- sessions during workouts at game. have to kind of weigh both. the stretch, with a 5-1 re-
als manager Dusty Baker Nationals Park on Wednes- Baker had said Tuesday But the health of Max, I cord and 0.84 ERA in his last
announced Thursday, and day and Thursday. that the plan was for think, is No. 1.” eight starts.
two-time Cy Young Award Lefty Gio Gonzalez did Scherzer to test his leg in The Cubs already an- Continued on Page 20