HOUSTON — While the Washington Nationals will play its first two games of the 2019 World Series away from home, they'll also receive the added benefit of being able to put one of their best lineups on the field.
With home games for the Houston Astros being played under American League rules, the Nationals will have the rare opportunity to utilize a designated hitter. And Washington manager didn't need to wait until Tuesday to reveal who that player would be, as he shared during a Monday press conference that infielder Howie Kendrick will be filling that role.
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"Howie will probably DH, yeah," Martinez said on Monday.
While Kendrick has been a regular in the Nationals' lineup throughout the team's run through the National League postseason, playing under American League rules will allow Martinez to continue to lean on his bat while putting a more formidable defensive unit on the field. In Kendrick's place at second base, veteran infielder Asdrubal Cabrera will likely get the start after previously only appearing in five of Washington's 10 postseason games.
In 38 at-bats this postseason, the right-handed hitting Kendrick has amassed a .289 batting average (.815 OPS) to go along with 1 home run and a team-high 9 RBIs. He achieved postseason hero status in Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers by hitting the game-winning grand slam in the top of the 10th inning to send Washing to the NLCS, where he was named the series' MVP after a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Game 1 of the 2019 World Series between the Nationals and Astros will take place on Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET.
