James, Greinke keep Nats off balance, escape trouble for win

Josh James sailed a changeup high and tight to Ryan Zimmerman, going to a full count with two on and Houston Astros clinging to a two-run, fifth-inning lead.

Catcher Robinson Chiris called for ar change. James shook him off.

Chiris put down same signal.

“It was one of those situations where I trusted him,” James said. “He knew what to call and I just threw it.”

James’ second changeup spun off inside corner and would have been ball four, but Zimmerman swung over it. Nationals wasted an opportunity yet again as Astros won 4-1 Friday night and clawed back to 2-1 in World Series after losing first two games at home.

Astros pitchers baffled batters when it mattered most, shutting down an October offense of uncanny timeliness.

Washington had a .314 aver with runners in scoring position in its first 12 postseason games, 68 points higher than any of or nine postseason teams. Nationals threatened in each of first six innings Friday but went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12. On a night of pitching dangerously, Zack Greinke and Astros’ bullpen kept escaping.

“A lot more runs could have been scored re,” Zimmerman said. “Had a chance a couple times but, yeah, that’s baseball.”

Houston pitchers had just one 1-2-3 inning, by Will Harris in seventh, just fourth time Astros retired side in order in Series.

Unsustainable in long run, but on this night good eugh.

Chiris, who also homered Friday, spent six hours watching video before Game 1 at Minute Maid Park, examining Nationals’ plate appearances all way back to 2017.

“Just trying to look for anything I can take advant in,” he said.

He spent two-to-three hours at Nationals Park on Friday reviewing first two games.

“How y’re taking spins, how y’re swinging at fastballs, where y’re putting better swings,” he said. “We’re in World Series. You have to put time, effort in this situation.”

James relieved Greinke after Asdrúbal Cabrera’s two-out double put runners on second third. James’ 0-2 pitch sent Zimmerman sprawling, a 98 mph fastball near batter’s head.

“I think it scared me more than anything, but that’s part of game,” said Zimmerman, who was slow to get up.

Zimmerman took two balls, fouled off two, and took first changeup. n came key moment.

“I kw Zimmerman chases changeup,” Chiris said. “JJ wanted to throw slider. I didn’t think it was right pitch in that situation. Something I saw.”

James wasn’t hard to persuade.

“I knew if I got it relatively in zone, around zone, I could get him to swing, hopefully some soft contact or get him to swing and miss,” he explained.

James, who got win, combined with Brad Peacock, Will Harris, Joe Smith and Roberto Osuna for 4 1/3 innings of shutout, two-hit relief.

Greinke, pitching four days after his 36th birthday, was 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA in his first three starts. He displayed his broad repertoire against Nationals, mixing four-seam fastballs (39) and two-seamers (six) with curveballs (18), changeups (18) and sliders (14) to keep batters off-balance.

“We were kind of surprised early that y were swinging at Zack’s curveball,” said Chiris, who was so alarmed at Washington’s approach that Houston checked video to make sure Greinke wasn’t tipping curves.

Greinke’s fastest pitch was 93 mph, and his slowest 67. He struck out Juan Soto, playing on his 21st birthday, on a 72 mph curve to strand a runner at second in first inning, fanned Cabrera on a curve with two on to end third and retired Trea Turner with a curve hit for a grounder to leave a runner at third base in fourth.

With two on in second, Victor Robles grounded a fastball for a 5-4-3 double play.

“He toys with strike zone. He never really concedes,” Astros manr AJ Hinch said. “He would rar pitch carefully to you than necessarily throw a ball right down middle.”

Greinke fell one out short of getting win but was more concerned about taxing his bullpen ahead of Houston’s all-reliever pitching plan for Game 4 Saturday.

“We might have used a guy a little more, to make it a little harder for tomorrow,” he said.

Osuna, booed loudly when he entered, froze Soto with a 99 mph fastball for a called third strike to end it. Astros lined up in front of third-base dugout for handshakes.

“It brings a lot of confidence back,” he said.

Houston mand to avoid a sweep. And maybe more.

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