Nationals World Series: 3 takeaways from frustrating Game 3 loss

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 25: Asdrubal Cabrera #13 of the Washington Nationals strikes out against the Houston Astros during the third inning in Game Three of the 2019 World Series at Nationals Park on October 25, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 25: Asdrubal Cabrera #13 of the Washington Nationals strikes out against the Houston Astros during the third inning in Game Three of the 2019 World Series at Nationals Park on October 25, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 25: Trea  Turner #7 of the Washington Nationals fouls the ball into himself against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning in Game Three of the 2019 World Series at Nationals Park on October 25, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 25: Trea  Turner #7 of the Washington Nationals fouls the ball into himself against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning in Game Three of the 2019 World Series at Nationals Park on October 25, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)

Missed opportunities

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If you really want to place blame in this game, look no further than the Nationals hitters.

Like I said, I think Sanchez did his job by working into the sixth inning and keeping the Astros at bay.

The offense just simply let him down by not coming up with the big hits like they had in the first two games.

They finished the game going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position (RISP). That after they went 7-for-21 with RISP in the first two games of this World Series.

I’m not going to make you go through it again, you can read the recap if you want to know just how they wasted every opportunity, but they had a runner on in every inning but one and managed to bring just one of them home.

Again, I think you can chalk this up a little bit to nerves and trying to press in front of the home crowd. It could also just be things averaging out.

The Nationals were great with RISP in the first two games, while the Astros were terrible.

At some point those two things were bound to average themselves out, I just never thought it would be in such a frustrating fashion.

Also, Nationals hitter struggled to put the ball in play with 13 strikeouts, something they had been great at in the first two games (putting the ball in play, that is). While on the other side, Astros hitters did put the ball in play only striking out five times.

Still, the Washington Nationals hold a 2-1 lead in the World Series with Patrick Corbin set to take the mound in Game 4 on Saturday night.

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